H.S. Stone's Blog, page 17
December 19, 2015
2015 Holiday Sale!
It's that time of the year again! I love the Christmas holiday season, and to celebrate it, I'm discounting ALL of my books on Amazon. Between now and the New Year, every one of my books will be on sale for 99 cents or FREE! Get them before prices go back up!
99 CENTS:
George and the
Galactic GamesIn the Hands of
ChildrenBeyond
New EdenKeep Your
Enemies Close
GiftedTransmissionsA House in
the WoodsProtectSearch
FREE:
DriveThrough a
Tangled WoodCelestialSpectral Tales
Happy holidays!
99 CENTS:




Galactic GamesIn the Hands of
ChildrenBeyond
New EdenKeep Your
Enemies Close





the WoodsProtectSearch
FREE:




Tangled WoodCelestialSpectral Tales
Happy holidays!
Published on December 19, 2015 06:01
December 5, 2015
Writing is like exercising
I recently completed my second NaNoWriMo, and I'm happy to say that I reached the 50,000 word goal for the second year in a row!
Compared to last year, this NaNoWriMo served as a kickstart for my writing. I hadn't been writing as much or as regularly in 2015 compared to previous years because of a greater workload at my day job. It got to the point where I was only writing on weekends, and then I'd have a hard time getting myself back into my story once I sat down to write. However, with NaNoW...

Compared to last year, this NaNoWriMo served as a kickstart for my writing. I hadn't been writing as much or as regularly in 2015 compared to previous years because of a greater workload at my day job. It got to the point where I was only writing on weekends, and then I'd have a hard time getting myself back into my story once I sat down to write. However, with NaNoW...
Published on December 05, 2015 05:47
November 27, 2015
Kick off the holiday shopping season with free books!
Today is Black Friday, the official start of the holiday shopping season (at least in the U.S.). What better way to celebrate than with FREE books?!
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, a newly published anthology of ghost-themed YA stories that I participated in, Spectral Tales, is free from these retailers:
AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunesKoboSmashwords
Maybe ghosts aren't your thing? How about fairy tale re-tellings? Then check out Through a Tangled Wood.
AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunesKoboSm...
As I mentioned in my previous blog post, a newly published anthology of ghost-themed YA stories that I participated in, Spectral Tales, is free from these retailers:
AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunesKoboSmashwords

Maybe ghosts aren't your thing? How about fairy tale re-tellings? Then check out Through a Tangled Wood.
AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunesKoboSm...
Published on November 27, 2015 05:49
November 10, 2015
Spectral Tales
Once again, I had the fortune of working with the talented authors who brought you
Through a Tangled Wood
and
Celestial
. Our latest anthology is Spectral Tales, a collection of short stories based on ghosts.
You can download Spectral Tales for FREE from these retailers:
AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunesKoboSmashwordsAnd while you're at it, remember that Through a Tangled Wood and Celestial are also still free!
Whether they are spirits of the departed or figments of an overactive imagination, ghosts...
You can download Spectral Tales for FREE from these retailers:
AmazonBarnes & NobleiTunesKoboSmashwordsAnd while you're at it, remember that Through a Tangled Wood and Celestial are also still free!

Whether they are spirits of the departed or figments of an overactive imagination, ghosts...
Published on November 10, 2015 05:24
November 1, 2015
NaNoWriMo 2015
It's that time again! November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).
Last year, I participated for the first time, and the effort led to my novella, Transmissions . I was also very pleasantly surprised to surpass the 50,000-word mark in one month. Here's a chart of my progress from last year's NaNoWriMo. Doesn't it look wonderful?
This year, I'm going to try something new. I'm going outside of my usual YA/MG genre to write a thriller. I like reading thrillers and have been wanting to try...
Last year, I participated for the first time, and the effort led to my novella, Transmissions . I was also very pleasantly surprised to surpass the 50,000-word mark in one month. Here's a chart of my progress from last year's NaNoWriMo. Doesn't it look wonderful?

This year, I'm going to try something new. I'm going outside of my usual YA/MG genre to write a thriller. I like reading thrillers and have been wanting to try...
Published on November 01, 2015 05:23
October 24, 2015
Book review: Jet by Russell Blake

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Description:
Code name: Jet
Twenty-eight-year-old Jet was once the Mossad's most lethal operative before faking her own death and burying that identity forever.
But the past doesn't give up on its secrets easily.
When her new life on a tranquil island is shattered by a brutal attack, Jet must return to a clandestine existence of savagery and deception to save herself and those she loves. A gritty, unflinching roller-coaster of high-stakes twists and shocking turn...
Published on October 24, 2015 05:52
October 17, 2015
And now for something completely different (college job-seeker edition)

Today, I'm going to talk about something totally unrelated to writing. It is, however, related to my day job as a software engineer.
This post came about because I recently participated at a couple of college recruiting events on behalf of the company where I work. At these events, I helped interview college students for internship and full-time positions. Based on what I saw of the candidates who were rated most favorably by me and my colleagues, I came up with a list of observations that I h...
Published on October 17, 2015 06:21
October 10, 2015
Why I don't write four books a year
Last month, there was an article on Huffington Post asking authors not to write four books a year. I am happy to say that I don't write four books a year. It's an accomplishment if I can finish one novel a year.
Do I write just one novel a year because I agree with the article and think that a good book can't be written in three months? Do I believe that any book that doesn't require a year's worth of work must not be very good? While I do work hard on my books and try to write the best story...
Do I write just one novel a year because I agree with the article and think that a good book can't be written in three months? Do I believe that any book that doesn't require a year's worth of work must not be very good? While I do work hard on my books and try to write the best story...
Published on October 10, 2015 05:25
September 26, 2015
Book review: The Brothers by Katie French

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Description:
“They tell me it’s for the good of humanity. That I’m saving our way of life with my body. They lie.”
Book Four in the award-winning, best-selling Breeders series.
Riley has survived madmen, deranged doctors, and false prophets. Her next task is uniting her family, which has been ripped apart by Nessa Vandewater, the Breeders’ enforcer. Her boyfriend Clay and brother Ethan are still missing. Only she can find them.
But on her way, Riley is stung by a...
Published on September 26, 2015 05:28
September 12, 2015
More stories on Wattpad
I posted two more short stories on Wattpad, making it a grand total of three stories published on that platform! The three stories that are available are:
"Fortune Cookies" - After a two-year break, Ryan takes the first steps in getting back together with his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie. Along the way, he receives aid from an unlikely source, a Chinese restaurant whose fortune cookies accurately predict good news in Ryan's life. However, all good things must come to an end.
"Urban Spelunkers" - Fo...
"Fortune Cookies" - After a two-year break, Ryan takes the first steps in getting back together with his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie. Along the way, he receives aid from an unlikely source, a Chinese restaurant whose fortune cookies accurately predict good news in Ryan's life. However, all good things must come to an end.
"Urban Spelunkers" - Fo...
Published on September 12, 2015 05:55