Julia Hughes's Blog, page 14
June 7, 2013
New Book Release: "Elyon's Light" by Charmain Zimmerman Brackett
It’s been a busy 12 months for Charmain Zimmerman Brackett.
“If someone would have told me a few years ago that I’d publish three books in 12 months, I would have laughed at them,” said Brackett, who released her third novel, Elyon’s Light, on Kindle on May 31, the anniversary of the release of her first novel, The Key of Elyon .
Brackett has been a writer for a quarter-century, working for newspapers and magazines in her hometown of Augusta, Ga., but novel writing wasn’t something she’d planned.
She always loved reading novels. She grew up in a quiet neighborhood, made up mostly of retirees, and there were no other girls for her to befriend. Nancy Drew, Ramona and Laura Ingalls Wilder were the friends she found in the pages of books.
That love of reading spilled over into her collegiate days, and she majored in English literature.
But there was always a storyteller inside of her. It managed to come out in the numerous people profiles and other articles she’d written over the years. Some of her favorite news pieces were included in a series she wrote for the newspaper at the local Army base about returning wounded soldiers from the war in the Middle East. Their poignant tales won her a second-place finish at the Department of the Army level, beating out stories from U.S. Army bases all over the globe.
However, there was more her inner storyteller wanted to do. In 2011, her characters begged to come out.
“It all started with one vivid scene in my brain,” said Brackett, “From there, it snowballed. My characters developed personalities, and they helped me write the rest of the novel.”
Since she’d never written a novel before, she didn’t know what to expect. After she published it, she found a pocket of faithful fans, who asked for more. Some of them asked rather loudly.
“I started writing a sequel, Elyon’s Cipher , almost as soon as The Key of Elyon was released,” she said. “Once Cipher came out, people still asked for more. It was exciting and humbling at the same time.”
While there are plans for additional novels, Brackett is considering her next move. She has circus blood in her family tree and plans to write a factual account or a fact-based story on their lives using some of her grandmother’s journals as well as newspaper articles.
Want to discover more about Charmain and her writing? Visit Charmain's Author Page on Amazon, where samples of all three titles in the "Elyon Trilogy" can be downloaded free to your kindle. 
“If someone would have told me a few years ago that I’d publish three books in 12 months, I would have laughed at them,” said Brackett, who released her third novel, Elyon’s Light, on Kindle on May 31, the anniversary of the release of her first novel, The Key of Elyon .
Brackett has been a writer for a quarter-century, working for newspapers and magazines in her hometown of Augusta, Ga., but novel writing wasn’t something she’d planned.
She always loved reading novels. She grew up in a quiet neighborhood, made up mostly of retirees, and there were no other girls for her to befriend. Nancy Drew, Ramona and Laura Ingalls Wilder were the friends she found in the pages of books.
That love of reading spilled over into her collegiate days, and she majored in English literature.
But there was always a storyteller inside of her. It managed to come out in the numerous people profiles and other articles she’d written over the years. Some of her favorite news pieces were included in a series she wrote for the newspaper at the local Army base about returning wounded soldiers from the war in the Middle East. Their poignant tales won her a second-place finish at the Department of the Army level, beating out stories from U.S. Army bases all over the globe.
However, there was more her inner storyteller wanted to do. In 2011, her characters begged to come out.
“It all started with one vivid scene in my brain,” said Brackett, “From there, it snowballed. My characters developed personalities, and they helped me write the rest of the novel.”
Since she’d never written a novel before, she didn’t know what to expect. After she published it, she found a pocket of faithful fans, who asked for more. Some of them asked rather loudly.
“I started writing a sequel, Elyon’s Cipher , almost as soon as The Key of Elyon was released,” she said. “Once Cipher came out, people still asked for more. It was exciting and humbling at the same time.”
While there are plans for additional novels, Brackett is considering her next move. She has circus blood in her family tree and plans to write a factual account or a fact-based story on their lives using some of her grandmother’s journals as well as newspaper articles.
Want to discover more about Charmain and her writing? Visit Charmain's Author Page on Amazon, where samples of all three titles in the "Elyon Trilogy" can be downloaded free to your kindle.
June 4, 2013
How NOT to ride a griffin - from "The Griffin Rider's Handbook"
The thermals surrounding the Cherub Cliffs began to thin; Balkind's wing movements fell into a steady pattern of swipe and glide. Below them, the terrain sped by in a jumble of greens and browns: mostly woodlands with the occasional clearing. Sometimes the clearings bulged to encircle a village: faded yellow oblongs of thatched roofs, surrounding a silver penny of a pond. Toy people would halt in their scurrying or toil in the fields and the Boy guessed that they shaded their eyes to look up into the sky, while their children raced each other, pointing and shouting with excitement: 'Look – look – a griffin!' Or perhaps, he mused, having previously seen Romulus and his new recruits flying overhead, they shouted 'Look – look – another griffin!'
… I wonder if their mothers will tell them bedtime stories tonight about the lone griffin, and how it fell behind the rest of its troop.
If he were to make up a story about Balkind, he would call it "The Naughtiest Griffin". Ribbons of streams connecting one village pond to the next widened, collections of thatched roofs became more frequent, but otherwise, the landscape barely changed. They flew on, the steady swish swish of Balkind's wings against the air faded into the background. The boy wasn't concentrating on anything much, apart from concentrating hard on not thinking about what Romulus would have to say about "The Naughtiest Griffin Lad". Despite being alone and flying an inexperienced griffin over unknown territory, the boy fell into a daydream: Balkind headed in the right direction, they were far out of reach of any threat from ground, and nothing in the air – apart from another griffin – would dare attack. An experienced griffin rider knows better; an experienced griffin rider knows that danger is always present. Nothing in this world or any other competed with the thrill of soaring through the skies on a griffin's back. A thrill sharpened by the knowledge that one wrong move, one lapse in concentration could prove fatal – as the Boy was about to discover.
Chaffing at the bit to find out what happens next? You can download "The Griffin's Boy" from Amazon on July lst. To win a very special advance reader copy, with a unique dedication on the title page, zoom on over to Charlie Plunkett's site & enter her free fun contest. But hurry - entries close 17th June and the winner will receive their advance copy a week before publication date.
… I wonder if their mothers will tell them bedtime stories tonight about the lone griffin, and how it fell behind the rest of its troop.
If he were to make up a story about Balkind, he would call it "The Naughtiest Griffin". Ribbons of streams connecting one village pond to the next widened, collections of thatched roofs became more frequent, but otherwise, the landscape barely changed. They flew on, the steady swish swish of Balkind's wings against the air faded into the background. The boy wasn't concentrating on anything much, apart from concentrating hard on not thinking about what Romulus would have to say about "The Naughtiest Griffin Lad". Despite being alone and flying an inexperienced griffin over unknown territory, the boy fell into a daydream: Balkind headed in the right direction, they were far out of reach of any threat from ground, and nothing in the air – apart from another griffin – would dare attack. An experienced griffin rider knows better; an experienced griffin rider knows that danger is always present. Nothing in this world or any other competed with the thrill of soaring through the skies on a griffin's back. A thrill sharpened by the knowledge that one wrong move, one lapse in concentration could prove fatal – as the Boy was about to discover.
Chaffing at the bit to find out what happens next? You can download "The Griffin's Boy" from Amazon on July lst. To win a very special advance reader copy, with a unique dedication on the title page, zoom on over to Charlie Plunkett's site & enter her free fun contest. But hurry - entries close 17th June and the winner will receive their advance copy a week before publication date.
June 2, 2013
Sneak Peek - Cover Reveal
The Griffin's Boy - cover design by Laura Wright LaRoche of LLPix.com 
Cover image by Laura Wright LaRoche The Griffin's Flight.
Balkind's wings effortlessly took them higher and higher, until the Manor Hall was just a smudge of yellow amongst a green background surrounded by a denser darker greenery of tree tops. Chantress Anderra could no longer been seen, but the boy could imagine the expression on her face. He twisted around to face the front, but needn't had worried about guiding his griffin. Balkind was intent on catching up his companions, and flew straight and true. They were flying higher and faster than the boy had ever been before. He felt giddy with freedom and whooped out-loud. Balkind's flight feathers cut through the air, a gentle swoosh swoosh sound. The boy drew breath after breath deep into his lungs, wanting to savour every second. His hands rested lightly on the large veins emerging from the griffin's shoulders. Under each of his palms, two ancillary hearts pumped blood around the intricate network of capillaries, inflating feathered flaps of skin into wings. In flight, a griffin's ancillary heart rate went from barely ticking over to the tempo of a drum tattoo. Right now, it felt as though two butterflies continuously fluttered under the boy's hands, in a desperate bid to escape. The boy looked down. The griffin's starboard wing filled his vision. It shimmered against the air like a triangular sail. The shorter side curled around the boy's thigh, providing warmth, security and comfort. Below the griffin's pewter grey feathers, a duller grey of the ocean glittered against the metallic grey of granite cliffs. The boy peered to his left. Again Balkind's wing filled his vision, this time outlined against a verdant green. The glorious feeling of freedom increased, filling the boy's senses with joy. With Balkind, he felt invincible. He straightened up on the griffin's back. Far ahead he saw several dark blotches flying in the same direction and at around the same height. He gulped. It could only be Romulus and his new recruits. As the distance between Balkind and his fellow griffinettes shortened, the enormity of what he had done hit the boy. For the first time in his life, he had directly disobeyed an order. An order given by Chantress Anderra, who together with the Griffin Master, had given him a chance far above his social status. It's too late to turn back, and however loud Romulus shouts, Balkind deserves his chance too, the boy told himself. He sat up straighter, and pushed his palms against Balkind's primary veins in an upwards motion. Balkind immediately responded by soaring higher and faster, and the boy whooped with delight again. I don't care if I'm hung, drawn and quartered – this is worth my life. This is my life!
From The Griffin's Boy © author Julia Hughes. A short story of Ella Earth's Griffin Riders. To be published by Talon Pub, this summer. Enjoyed this extract? You could win an advance reader copy in Charlie Plunkett's free easy to enter competition. Visit Charlie's site for more details of this exclusive competition.
To win an advance reader copy of "The Griffin's Boy" simply visit Charlie Plunkett's site. Download this beautiful sketch by artist Damian Harrison, and using your own colour scheme, bring Balkind and friends to life.
First in the Ella Earth Chronicles of The Griffin Riders is "The Griffin Cryer". Over 50 reviews on Amazon.com and 25 on Amazon.co.uk Ave. rating 4.7*. If you enjoy urban fantasy and adventure, download a free sample to your kindle, and discover the magic of griffins. Powered by WebRing. This site is a member of WebRing.
To browse visit Here.
Cover image by Laura Wright LaRoche The Griffin's Flight.Balkind's wings effortlessly took them higher and higher, until the Manor Hall was just a smudge of yellow amongst a green background surrounded by a denser darker greenery of tree tops. Chantress Anderra could no longer been seen, but the boy could imagine the expression on her face. He twisted around to face the front, but needn't had worried about guiding his griffin. Balkind was intent on catching up his companions, and flew straight and true. They were flying higher and faster than the boy had ever been before. He felt giddy with freedom and whooped out-loud. Balkind's flight feathers cut through the air, a gentle swoosh swoosh sound. The boy drew breath after breath deep into his lungs, wanting to savour every second. His hands rested lightly on the large veins emerging from the griffin's shoulders. Under each of his palms, two ancillary hearts pumped blood around the intricate network of capillaries, inflating feathered flaps of skin into wings. In flight, a griffin's ancillary heart rate went from barely ticking over to the tempo of a drum tattoo. Right now, it felt as though two butterflies continuously fluttered under the boy's hands, in a desperate bid to escape. The boy looked down. The griffin's starboard wing filled his vision. It shimmered against the air like a triangular sail. The shorter side curled around the boy's thigh, providing warmth, security and comfort. Below the griffin's pewter grey feathers, a duller grey of the ocean glittered against the metallic grey of granite cliffs. The boy peered to his left. Again Balkind's wing filled his vision, this time outlined against a verdant green. The glorious feeling of freedom increased, filling the boy's senses with joy. With Balkind, he felt invincible. He straightened up on the griffin's back. Far ahead he saw several dark blotches flying in the same direction and at around the same height. He gulped. It could only be Romulus and his new recruits. As the distance between Balkind and his fellow griffinettes shortened, the enormity of what he had done hit the boy. For the first time in his life, he had directly disobeyed an order. An order given by Chantress Anderra, who together with the Griffin Master, had given him a chance far above his social status. It's too late to turn back, and however loud Romulus shouts, Balkind deserves his chance too, the boy told himself. He sat up straighter, and pushed his palms against Balkind's primary veins in an upwards motion. Balkind immediately responded by soaring higher and faster, and the boy whooped with delight again. I don't care if I'm hung, drawn and quartered – this is worth my life. This is my life!
From The Griffin's Boy © author Julia Hughes. A short story of Ella Earth's Griffin Riders. To be published by Talon Pub, this summer. Enjoyed this extract? You could win an advance reader copy in Charlie Plunkett's free easy to enter competition. Visit Charlie's site for more details of this exclusive competition.
To win an advance reader copy of "The Griffin's Boy" simply visit Charlie Plunkett's site. Download this beautiful sketch by artist Damian Harrison, and using your own colour scheme, bring Balkind and friends to life. First in the Ella Earth Chronicles of The Griffin Riders is "The Griffin Cryer". Over 50 reviews on Amazon.com and 25 on Amazon.co.uk Ave. rating 4.7*. If you enjoy urban fantasy and adventure, download a free sample to your kindle, and discover the magic of griffins. Powered by WebRing. This site is a member of WebRing.
To browse visit Here.
May 30, 2013
Fun but addictive!
Thanks to all my friends who helped spread the word about the recent free promotion on A Raucous Time, I know how valuable everyone's time is, and I'm truly grateful for your support. Recently though, I've been squandering the precious stuff over at Pinterest, creating a board for actors and locations suitable for "A Raucous Time". Come on over and see my wish list - and see if you agree with my choices! Click here to visit the board.
Along with the third and last (so far!) Celtic Cousin adventure, An Explosive Time, A Raucous Time is now available to download at a Summer Special Sale price of only 99 cents, or 77p.
May 27, 2013
Raucous Hits the Big Time!
Cover design LLPix.com Massive thanks to all who've downloaded, and tweeted & shared about this freebie - it ain't over yet of course - if you haven't already grab this fun action packed story for your kindle until Midnight 28th May (EST time). Already done that and got the tee shirt? The action gets even weirder for long suffering DI Crombie in "An Explosive Time" - he's on the trail of a disappearing elephant - a trail that unsurprisingly leads straight to the Celtic Cousins' front door - while upstairs in Rhyllann's bathroom an even greater surprise awaits Crombie. Snap it up now for only 99 cents, around 77p.
A brief apology & explanation for something that I should had done but didn't do. "Crombie's Christmas" was only intended to be a short free Christmas special. To send it free on Amazon meant enrolling this little stocking filler into 'select', and unfortunately I allowed the select period to "Roll over". So apologies if you purchased this, and found it a little too short a shortie. But the good news is more outings are planned for DI Derek "Tigger" Crombie, and you're cordially invited to request an advance reader copy, free, of course!
AN EXPLOSIVE TIME FOR ONLY 99 CENTS/77P CLICK HERE.
A RAUCOUS TIME FOR FREE UNTIL MIDNIGHT 28TH MAY (EST) CLICK HERE
The Celtic Cousins' Adventures - Time after time after time.
May 26, 2013
Serendipity Rocks!
With perfect timing, one of my wonderful readers has posted a new review on "A Raucous Time" - which is now available as a free download until Tuesday 28th May (offer ends at midnight EST - which is Wednesday morning here in the UK!) And there's more ...earlier this month, I asked "The Mind Palace" if they'd be interested in an advance reader copy of my current work in progress, "The Griffin's Girl". The answer came back "Yes - but we'd like to read "The Griffin Cryer" first. One of their Palace Review Squad, A E Shaw has written an insightful and complimentary review, which you can read here, "The Indie Pub" along with other indie publications which win "The Mind Palace's" approval, this is their mission statement:
"Here at the Mind Palace we fully support those who publish through those amazing independent publishers who have kicked our viewing pleasures wide open. The books that are produced via this route are the little gems that keep us on the edge of our seat and begging for more."
A massive thank you to everyone who takes the time and trouble to review, book bloggers and readers alike! It's wonderful to have feedback, and I'm very appreciative. If you've read a great book lately, remember it's good to share!
Here are the links once again to download a free copy of A Raucous Time.
Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk or viewBook.at/B0062SDMV8
Would YOU like an advance reader's copy of "The Griffin Cryer's" sequel? Message me on facebook, tweet on twitter to @tinksaid, or join my mailing list. Thank you!
May 25, 2013
Free! A Raucous Time - Celtic Cousins' Adventure eBook.
Designed by LLPix.com I've had a free house all afternoon, and managed to write two blog posts. I've come to the conclusion that I'd fail miserably if I entered Words Unlimited Writing Contest. And that's a shame. Laura's book cover would be very easy compose a story for, a mysterious robed figure against a very dramatic background – is it a she? if so, how did she get there, what is she doing there – is this an ending or a beginning? Like life, so many questions, and searching for answers is how all my stories begin. Although I usually begin at the end; and smile when readers remark that most of my stories conclude with a strong finish. The exception is "A Ripple in Time" where I trust readers to work out for themselves the identity of the stranger on the shore.
The start of the Celtic Cousins' Adventures, " A Raucous Time " goes free tomorrow, for 72 hours until 11.59 EST 28th May 2013. Our boys have a pretty raucous time hunting for King John's lost treasure.
The story behind the story began with a simple idea – Why has King John's treasure – lost in the thirteenth century – never been found? There's no excuse really – apart from the sons growing up and leaving me with too much time on my hands but I continued musing: what if it wasn't lost, but hidden? Who would hide it – and why? If you'd like to discover more about how this story evolved, come on over to the Celtic Cousins' own site, where I'll reveal all.
If you just want a stonking good read this Bank Holiday Weekend, download "A Raucous Time" from Amazon.com, or Amazon.co.uk. (Ave. 4.7/13 reviews, 5*/7 customer reviews).
May 24, 2013
Contests to test your artistic skills!
Words Unique Writing Contest: Since Mervyn of Talon Publishing is my editor, and of course Laura Wright LaRoche is a very good friend and also designer of two of my own book covers, I'm not entering the Words Writing Contest. But you can - and should! A book cover designed and donated by Laura will be revealed on Words at one minute past midnight (British Summer Time) on 25th May. You then have 72 hours to write a short story to complement the cover. So what are you waiting for - get on over to Words now! Or at least - after you've read this post! Charlie Plunkett's Unique Sketch Contest: I wouldn't want you to miss out on Charlie Plunkett's great free contest either - go to Charlie's site, download this wonderful sketch of Balkind and friends by Damian H, and bring it to life with colour. Then take a photo of your finished artwork and stick it on facebook, or pinterest, or tweet to either me, @tinksaid, or Charlie, @Charlieplunkett. Winners will be given advance reader copies of my work in progress, which is a sequel to "The Griffin Cryer."
May 23, 2013
Good news; better news!
Image by LLPix.com Thanks to all those who downloaded "An Explosive Time" I hope you enjoy this wild whacky Celtic Cousins' Adventure. Many of you took Detective Inspector Crombie to heart after his brave (some might say fool hardy) actions in "A Raucous Time". Over forty, Crombie obviously has an interesting past. We're currently negotiating with the grumpy old copper to tell all. The good news is there's a series of adventures planned, provisionally entitled "A Case For Crombie". If you'd like a chance of an advance reader copy simply use this form, and future updates will arrive in your email box. There's still around twelve hours left for you to grab a free copy of "An Explosive Time", just click on the link and as if by magic it'll turn up on your kindle or e-reader. If you enjoy the read, please spare a few seconds to review. Your opinion matters, and helps other readers find good books. And makes for a less neurotic Crombie.
May 18, 2013
Detective Crombie's Greatest Secret
"An Explosive Time" will be free to download from tomorrow for five days until the 23rd May. Sharrel of Free EBooks Daily - (that's her site button on our blog bar) invited the grumpy fat man over to her site for a chat. Like all good interviewers, Sharrel managed to winkle a few secret passions from Crombie, however, his lips remain tightly closed about "The Great Elephant Stampede". As the chronicler of The Celtic Cousins' Adventures, I'm as disappointed as anyone else that we may never know the truth about what happened in Africa. However, that won't stop me speculating. Wren and Rhyllann presumably know what happened. No surprise Wren won't tell - he's always been deviously secretive. However, for the gregarious Rhyllann to stay stum leads me to believe that he's deeply embarrassed by that particular adventure.
Since I also know Rhyllann's mum was involved, and Crombie's always been sweet on her, and as we're all aware Africa is a continent of dark mystery and romance, well ... my imagination works overtime! Maybe one day the world will be ready for the truth. Until then, you're all very welcome to help yourself to a liberal dose of thrills, laughter and fish 'n' chips served up with An Explosive Time:
An Explosive Time An Explosive Time: Free to download from 19th - 23rd May: Detective Inspector Crombie of the London Met deals with alligators, elephants, and a cosy little arrangement between the underworld and Whitehall that threatens to send his world supernova. It really doesn’t surprise him to discover the Celtic Cousins, the collective bane of his life, are the catalysts of this explosive time.
A bonus chapter from “The Middle of Nowhere”, the latest Paul Mallory Adventure by American writer Mr Stephen Spencer follows this edition of “An Explosive Time”.
Click here to download An Explosive Time from Amazon for free.
Cover image by Laura Wright LaRoche of LLPix.com
If you've already enjoyed these adventures of Alfie, Crombie and the Celtic Cousins, please help spread the word - a tweet or share on facebook would be much appreciated.
Since I also know Rhyllann's mum was involved, and Crombie's always been sweet on her, and as we're all aware Africa is a continent of dark mystery and romance, well ... my imagination works overtime! Maybe one day the world will be ready for the truth. Until then, you're all very welcome to help yourself to a liberal dose of thrills, laughter and fish 'n' chips served up with An Explosive Time:
An Explosive Time An Explosive Time: Free to download from 19th - 23rd May: Detective Inspector Crombie of the London Met deals with alligators, elephants, and a cosy little arrangement between the underworld and Whitehall that threatens to send his world supernova. It really doesn’t surprise him to discover the Celtic Cousins, the collective bane of his life, are the catalysts of this explosive time.A bonus chapter from “The Middle of Nowhere”, the latest Paul Mallory Adventure by American writer Mr Stephen Spencer follows this edition of “An Explosive Time”.
Click here to download An Explosive Time from Amazon for free.
Cover image by Laura Wright LaRoche of LLPix.com
If you've already enjoyed these adventures of Alfie, Crombie and the Celtic Cousins, please help spread the word - a tweet or share on facebook would be much appreciated.
