G.P. Ching's Blog, page 20

Reviews Up at That Bookish Girl and Me, My Shelf & I

My first, independent, book reviews are available today at That Bookish Girl and Me, My Shelf and I. Thank you in advance for stopping over and giving these very thoughtful reviews a read.

Review Up at That Bookish Girl

My first, independent, book review is available today at That Bookish Girl.  Thank you in advance for stopping over and giving this very thoughtful review a read.

And The Winners Are...

Without further ado, the winners of The Soulkeepers launch contest are as follows.





The $5 gift certificate goes to...





Tim VanSant



The autographed copy goes to...





John Wiswell







And the autographed copy and $20 gift certificate goes to...









Jennifer Leigh Bonges





Congratulations to all the lucky winners!  Please send your contact information to gpching@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Launch Contest Mayhem!

Have you heard?  The fourth DarkSide author, Angela Carlie, has released her first title, Dream Smashers. Visit her blog to learn about her launch contest and pick up a copy of Dream Smashers, a contemporary YA novel.



http://angelacarlie.blogspot.com/



Also, you have until today at midnight to enter The Soulkeepers launch contest.  I'll be wrapping that up and posting the winners ASAP.  Goodluck!

5 Free Ways To Support an Indie Author

If you've purchased an indie title this month, give yourself a pat on the back for supporting the arts.  Independent authors provide a rich diversity of talent and an unbelievable value to the reader.  But beyond buying an author's book, there are five ways you can support a writer that cost absolutely nothing but go a long way toward helping to foster their potential.

5.  Forward their press Whether it is a tweet, post, or status message, someone who follows you might be interested.  Retweeting or sharing a post only takes a second but could mean connecting a potential reader with an author they'll love.

4. Tell a friendIf you like someone's work, there's no better way than word of mouth to promote their cause. Even if you haven't read the specific book yet, your comment can inform someone of the book's availability.  And, of course, if you have read the book, let others know you liked it.  Indie authors don't have large publicity budgets and rely on personal connections more than anything else for promotion.

3.  Tag and "like" their book on the bookseller's siteAt the bottom of a book's page on Amazon, there are check boxes to tag a book.  When you check one, it strengthens the association between the book and that category. So, when someone else searches on the category, books with more tags appear higher in the search results.  This increases exposure for the work.  

When you "like" a book on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, it adds a message on your Facebook newsfeed and is good promotion for the title.

2.  Add the author's book to your To-Be-Read pile on GoodreadsAll of your Goodreads followers get a glimpse of the cover and can see that you added it.  Plus, it increases the number of people associated with the book which can garner interest in the title.

1.  Write a review Often if your intention is to write a review, an author will provide you with a free copy of the book.  Whether on a blog or on a bookseller's site, reviews help authors sell more books and are greatly appreciated.

What do you think readers?  What are some ways you support your favorite authors, even after you've bought their books?

#Fridayflash: Loose Change

The pickax slammed into the rock with an echoing clank that seemed loud even through Frank's industrial strength earplugs. Sam worked next to him, shoulders rolling like pistons, striking the stone in an alternating rhythm to Frank's efforts. They'd been a team long enough to work with machine-like precision, anticipating the other's next move.

Sam's strike sent a shower of gold coins toppling out of the stone like they'd hit the jackpot in a casino. Only these coins contained extremite, the radioactive mineral that had changed their lives. It powered everything, was pollution free, and had saved the world from its reliance on petroleum. Only now, everyone relied on extremite.

Frank stopped digging and leaned his axe up against the wall of the shaft. He reached for his shovel to move the bounty into their cart. But he paused to remove his earplugs when he saw Sam frozen in place, staring longingly at the pile.

"Have you ever wanted to hold one in your hand?"  Sam said, removing his earplugs. "Just once, just to feel the weight of it against your palm."

"Nah. Why do that to yourself? It's no good wanting what you can't have."

"I guess. But you've had it Frank. You were raised by the educated, hoity-toity, meat eaters up-top. How can you keep your hands off of it? Don't you ever consider just slipping one into your pocket?   One coin on the black market and we could be free of this gig."

"Or you could get caught and be free of your head."  Frank nudged a coin with the toe of his boot. On one side was the imprint of a chinless, bald man with oversized black eyes and a tiny nose and mouth. On the back was a symbol nobody had translated yet. Frank knew there were plenty of scholars who had died trying. Scholars like his parents who had attempted to preserve the very ruins he and Sam were destroying, got too close and disappeared without a trace.

"Let's get back to work," Frank said. Sam sunk his shovel into the stack of coins at their feet, while Frank used his pick to pry open the hole a little farther, doubling their bounty. When the cavity in the rock was empty, they could see the petroglyph behind it. But thanks to hours of practice at his mother's side, only Frank could read it.

As he shoveled, he translated. This one was a hero story. Centuries ago, a man discovered that the people of the sky had sent the coins to the people of the Earth. Although the coins were useful, the more the Earth people relied on them the greater price the Sky people demanded in return. Soon, every man, woman, and child worked for nothing but more coins. The hero convinced his people to bury all of their coins and to return to the old ways. Foiled, the sky people departed for their own world. The man was made king for his wisdom, and the people lived out their days working the land by hand.

Frank especially enjoyed the carving of the hero standing atop the pyramid of buried coins, fists raised towards the sky.  The crown on his head seemed to glint from the dusty canvass. His people bowed at his feet.

"I wonder what it says," Sam said, replacing his earplugs and picking up his ax.



Frank shrugged in Sam's direction. He wielded his ax at the carved stone wall, and became the only man in the world to know the truth.





Thanks for reading!  Don't forget to enter The Soulkeepers Launch Contest if you haven't already. Thanks.

The Soulkeepers Now in Paperback

The Soulkeepers is now available in paperback.  For all of you who still enjoy the feel of paper in your hands, you can order a copy at Amazon.com.



Also, please don't forget to enter the launch contest.



Thank you to all of my readers and for your ongoing support!

The Soulkeepers Launch Contest

The official launch date of T he Soulkeepers is here! To promote the book, I'm holding a random drawing to give away some prizes.





You may have noticed that music plays an important role in my writing routine. Check out the upper left corner of your screen and you'll see the playlist that fueled some of the scenes in The Soulkeepers .  So, I'm sweetening the pot with an iTunes gift card.**







First Prize: A custom autographed paperback of The Soulkeepers and $20 iTunes gift card (or your choice of alternate card of equal value).



Second Prize: A custom autographed paperback of The Soulkeepers

Third Prize:  A $5 gift card to your choice of iTunes, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Entering couldn't be easier. Simply comment...



Over the last week, you've read the first chapters and learned details about The Soulkeepers . You've watched The Soulkeepers grab a spot on an Amazon Best-Seller list. All you have to do for a chance to win is comment on this post telling me why you want to read the book. Any reason will do.  For each comment, I will enter your name into the drawing.

Want to increase your chances of winning? 





After commenting here, promote this contest on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog and I will throw your name in again - up to three additional times. Please tag me in your Facebook posts,  use the #thesoulkeepers hashtag on twitter and/or place a link to your blog post in the comments.

BUT WAIT, you say.  I want to read the book now! If I purchase it or have already purchased it, can I still win?  YES!  Comment on why you purchased the eBook and you are eligible for the same prizes. Plus, if you read the book and offer a valid* review during the contest period on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Barnes & Noble you are guaranteed a prize. I have a special first reader commemorative thank you, including a never before seen chapter of The Soulkeepers  that was cut during editing for length.

(Be it known that this thank you is of token value, as I would never wish to be accused of buying reviews and I appreciate honest reviews.)

This contest will run for two weeks beginning March 21st, 2011 through midnight April 4th, 2011. Winners will be selected using random.org and be announced Wednesday April, 6th, 2011.  Good luck!

  The very important small print *Valid means that the content of the review appears to be based on an actual reading and thoughtful analysis of the book and that the review meets the guidelines of Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.

**This contest is limited to entrants in the United States and Canada.  Sorry, but shipping is cost prohibitive beyond that.  If you live in a country serviced by Amazon.com (like the UK), you may enter but if you win the prize, you will be gifted the cost of the paperback (unsigned) and the value of the iTunes card if you are unable to access iTunes.

The Soulkeepers #9 on Amazon Best Seller List

The Soulkeepers Chapter Three

Chapter OneChapter Two3
 The Memory




J
acob lands in a crouch, knee deep in ferns and bromeliads, shoulder to shoulder with bamboo. Wet leaves brush against his arms and legs as he turns in a circle. There is no path here but he's familiar with the trees. He is sure he's been here before. Dark clouds roll in overhead, faster than in real life, and the forest grows dim under their ominous bellies. Panic swells in his chest. Jacob launches himself into the forest. He darts through the trees, casting frantic looks over his shoulder. Up ahead, the forest opens and Jacob watches a car climb a gravel roadway. It is his mother's. The faded blue Toyota Celica is unmistakable. From the driver's seat, she emerges but she is not the woman Jacob remembers arguing with that morning. He has never seen this Lillian Lau, a strong soldier of a woman in a long sleeved black t-shirt and military pants. The hilt of a knife glints from a sheath on her leg. Her jet-black hair is swept up into a ponytail and her almond eyes are deadly serious. She is staring in the opposite direction, frowning at a particularly dark stretch of forest. She reaches across her body and draws a gun from a holster under her arm."MOM!""Jacob?" She turns toward him. Her face pales. Her eyes grow wide with terror. "Run, Jacob! RUN!" she yells and that's when he notices it behind her. At first he can't actually see it but he can feel it. He can smell it—sulfur and something sweet. And although he doesn't know exactly what it is, he hates it with every fiber of his being."Behind you," he calls out. She moves to the front of the car and points her gun at the darkness that emerges from the trees, flowing forward like oil in water. It is a horrific abomination—scaly black skin, enormous leathery wings and yellow eyes that lock on his mother. It's the sight of its talons that makes him run faster. Crack. Crack. Bullets fly from the gun but the creature melts into the thick ripple it was when it oozed from the woods. It shifts right and his mom's eyes track it until it disappears again. Without lowering her gun, she feels for the knife on her leg. Jacob reaches the car."GET. IN. NOW," she commands.He obeys, sliding in behind the steering wheel. That's when he realizes the car is still running. The keys dangle from the ignition. Never taking her eyes off the woods, she backs toward the passenger side door. He thinks she will crawl in next to him and they will escape whatever this is. Lightning-quick talons rip across her chest. Jacob screams as blood sprays the window… his mother's blood. Somehow, she is able to sink the knife into the shoulder of the beast before she drops. The creature backs away from her body with an ethereal howl that makes Jacob's hair stand on end. It rears back in pain, placing itself in front of the vehicle. On instinct, Jacob slams the Toyota into drive and pounds on the accelerator. The hood crumples accordion style as he collides with the thing. He sees a flash of blood on glass...his blood.And then there is nothing but the tunnel, the light, and the man in the green mask.