Christina Bauer's Blog, page 84
May 14, 2014
Book Review: UNBELONGING Series
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May 13, 2014
Scala Released Today!
Yay, Scala is officially released today!
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New Titles Released by Ink Monster: Avoiding Alpha and Scala
The latest releases in the Angelbound and Alpha Girl series are now ready to order on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and iTunes.
NEWTON, Mass. – May 13, 2014 – Ink Monster LLC, publisher of new adult romance books in genres of sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance, today announced that their newest titles, Scala by Christina Bauer and Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin, are both available for reviews and orders as follows:
Scala Reviews and Orders: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes
Avoiding Alpha Reviews and Orders: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes
“We’re excited to see these series grow and develop,” says Aileen Latcham, Editorial Monster. “In Avoiding Alpha, the main character, Tessa, has to come to terms with the challenges of being both were and witch. For Scala, our heroine, Myla, must shoulder the demands of ruling Purgatory under tough conditions. Right now, both books average 4.25 stars on Goodreads, which shows the positive reader response to these ongoing storylines.”
Each book is part of a greater series that will include a minimum of three titles across a regular schedule of release dates. Details on Ink Monster’s unique publishing approach may be found in the company’s manifesto. The next titles in each of these series are scheduled to be released in October, 2014. More information is posted on the Alpha Girl and Angelbound series pages.
To find out more, visit www.InkMonster.net. To sign up for the company’s newsletter, please complete the form here.
About Scala by Christina Bauer
Nineteen-year-old Myla Lewis has transformed into Great Scala, the only being with the power to move souls out of Purgatory and into Heaven or Hell. Trouble is, a magical object called Lucifer’s Orb is limiting Myla’s abilities. If she tries to move a soul, the Orb’s forcing her to send that spirit straight to Hell.
So, what’s a girl to do? Send innocents to the fiery down-under?
No way. Myla’s gone on a supernatural strike. No souls go anywhere until the Orb’s history. It’s the right thing to do, but Purgatory’s Soul Storage buildings are turning into time bombs. No spirits are moving out, while millions keep coming in. Myla’s determined to find the Orb and send the innocent to Heaven, but she’s running out of time. Soon, the containment fields will burst, releasing a mob of homicidal ghosts.
With Soul Storage ready to explode, Myla’s got enough on her plate without her old enemy, Lady Adair, causing problems. Adair is launching an ingenious campaign to take away everything that Myla holds dear, including Myla’s Angelbound love, Prince Lincoln.
Between their clever ideas and toe-curling kisses, Myla and Lincoln are fighting back. But will they beat the clock or lose everything to Adair’s devious schemes?
For more information on the Angelbound Series visit the following URL: http://inkmonster.net/books/angelbound-series
About Avoiding Alpha by Aileen Erin
Seventeen-year-old Tessa McCaide has come a long way since her abrupt entrance into the world of werewolves, but she still has just as far to go before she’s comfortable with turning full wolf. In the meantime, she’s avoiding the topic of shifting to four legs any way she can. Thankfully her mate, Dastien Laurent, is quite the distraction.
When she finds her best friend, Meredith, getting sick in the bathroom, Tessa knows something’s majorly wrong. Meredith was cursed years ago, and the dark magic kept her wolf dormant—only now the wolf is awake, and that same spell is killing her.
Tessa has no intention of sitting around while Meredith wastes away. Even if it means playing with magic she doesn’t understand, she’ll do anything to save Meredith’s life. Including bargaining with the local coven of witches and its crazed leader, whose only goal is getting Tessa to join the witchy ranks.
Can Tessa save her friend without losing herself?
For more information on the Alpha Girl series, visit the following URL: http://inkmonster.net/books/alpha-girl-series
About Ink Monster
Ink Monster LLC publishes new adult romance books in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. The Company follows a studio model with teams of authors developing story-worlds under the umbrella of Ink Monster intellectual property. Ink Monster’s first two books, Angelbound and Becoming Alpha, are now available for pre-order. For more information, visit www.InkMonster.net.
###Copyright © 2014 Ink Monster LLC. All Rights Reserved. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Media Inquiries: PR@inkmonster.net
The post Scala Released Today! appeared first on Ink Monster.
May 8, 2014
My Xavier Scrapbook
This is what Xavier looks like:
This is Xavier’s dress armor (minus the headpiece):
Xavier the General:
Angel-blue eyes:
Xavier landing in battle. Yeah, he’s badass:
Like these? Also in this series:
Prince Lincoln
Reperio Demons
Furor Demons
Ghouls
You can see tons more Angelbound inspirations at myPinterest Board. Like honestly, I have a problem.
The post My Xavier Scrapbook appeared first on Ink Monster.
May 6, 2014
Scala Now Live on NetGalley!
Hey, it’s never official until the little blue guy gives the ‘all clear’. Reviewers: click anywhere on the screen capture below to request your galley of the sequel to Angelbound. Or enter the following URL into your browser: http://inkmonster.net/blog/scala-now-live-netgalley
The post Scala Now Live on NetGalley! appeared first on Ink Monster.
May 1, 2014
Thoughts On…Scarlett O’Hara, Queen of Kick-Ass
Here are eight reasons why I think Scarlett O’Hara is the Queen of Kick-Ass, complete with full-color pictures to illustrate my points.
1. Bitch can shoot a gun.
When it comes to killing someone in cold blood, Scarlett has two things going for her. First, she keeps her eyes open while she fires, and two, when she shoots, she kills. Here’s a pic of Scarlett from the fateful scene where a Yankee tries to steal her ear-bobs:
She’s squinting, yeah, but she’s still looking. And she didn’t miss. Let’s contrast this with another one of my favorite kick-ass chicks, Princess Leia:
Come on, Girlfriend! You have to keep your eyes open if you want to hit anything.
On set, Lucas famously nagged Carrie Fisher about keeping her eyes closed while she shot. It didn’t help. That said, it’s worth noting how Princess Leia’s aim was about as good as everyone else’s in the movie, which is to say, not too good. But no one’s worse in this category than Storm Troopers, as many a meme will tell you. Here’s a classic:
2. She’s not all swoony around guys.
Sure, Scarlett wants Ashley, but she pursues him in a no-holds-barred way that makes professional wrestling seem tame. And as for Rhett? She’s pretty meh on him for a long time, which I like. It makes the story more about her as a well-rounded-if-self-centered person versus her love life alone. Here’s a great pic to illustrate that point:
Back off, cowboy.
3. She has some fan-freaking-tabulous clothes.
Another limitation for Princess Leia was she got all of two outfits for Star Wars. Lucas arguably went over-the-top on this score for the prequels, but still, no one did it better than Scarlett. Here’s one random scene from later in the movie with a dress that lasts all of three minutes on screen. And damn, it’s gorgeous.
And I can’t show that red dress without showing THE red dress:
Ah, classic.
4. She’s strong on her own.
For example, the red dress above is worn in a scene where Scarlett goes to Miss Mellie’s party after supposedly getting caught canoodling with Ashley. Sure, Rhett pushes her to go, but still, she goes. By herself. In a red dress. And she works it like a bitch.
All through the story, Scarlett is fierce and strong. In the beginning, her strength is manipulative (more on that later), but once her world falls apart, you can see how she’s just tough as nails in general. This point would be impossible to illustrate without some ‘never be hungry again’ pics:
It’s also important to note how Scarlett shows her strength separately from anyone else, man or woman. That is cool, IMHO.
5. She’s a good-slash-slightly-illegal businesswoman.
Today, there are plenty of movies that show how Wall Street tycoons push the envelopes of the law in order to get rich. Well, Scarlett did it first by using convict labor at her lumber mill. So, nyah-nyah-nyah-NYAH-nyah. Here’s one of my favorite scenes, where she leaves the lumber mill, tells Rhett to stick it, and then rides off in her own carriage.
The scene ends with one of my favorite quotes from the movie: what a woman!
6. She has a very real friendship with Mellie
And by real, I mean that she’s not always the greatest friend in the universe. Often, girls in stories are either besties or bitches. In reality, most female friendships have times where they’re both. Here’s a classic scene where Mellie is thanking Scarlett for ‘worrying about Ashley’ for her. You can see the mix of guilt and revulsion on Scarlett’s face. Dang, but Vivien Leigh could act.
Okay, time for a side note on Miss Mellie. The actress who plays her, , actually built her career on what were considered the kick-ass chicks of her day. One well-known example is The Adventures of Robin Hood:
In this bit, Miss Marian is walking through the woods, unchaperoned, with a notorious outlaw. That was pretty ballsy stuff for the time. In Gone with the Wind, Mellie is still very strong in her own ways. My favorite, of course, is when she hauls her ass out of her sick-bed to fight the Yankee with a sword:
Scarlett shoots the guy in the face later, but you still have to hand it to Mellie. Fuckin’ A for effort!
7. She’s manipulative and damned good at it.
Hey, anyone can TRY to take advantage of another person. But Scarlett brings that to an art form. She plays the sweet Southern Belle when in reality, she’s a wolf in a hat and matching hoop skirt. Here, she forces herself to eat so she won’t pig out at Ashley’s party:
What’s awesome about her self-interested conniving is that, long before shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Scarlett’s totally honest with herself that she’s a manipulative scumbag. She just could give a shit about that fact. Here’s another classic manipulative move. In this scene, Scarlett pretends she doesn’t know how to put on a hat so Rhett has an excuse to touch her:
She gets what she wants, of course.
8. This girl invented the Bitch Face.
Again, insert effusive praise here for Vivien Leigh. What that woman can say in a raised eyebrow is unbelievable. I’ll start with another shot of that classic red dress. Everyone at Mellie’s party is looking at her like she’s a man-stealing freak, and she gives them the Bitch Face.
Ooooooooh! Do you feel the bitchery? I do! Here’s another classic where Scarlett badmouths other guys in order to get Charles Hamilton to sit with her at the opening barbecue:
Yow! Screw those guys! Now, just to show how fan-freaking-tastic Vivien Leigh is, here’s a later clip from that same sequence. In this part, Scarlett sees the object of her affection, Ashley, kissing her so-called friend, Mellie. The left-side side of Leigh’s face is all bitch; the right is pure torment. How does Leigh do that, exactly? How, I ask you, how, how, how?
So there you have it: eight reasons why Scarlett O’Hara is the Queen of Kick-Ass. Now, I’m going to hide somewhere and practice my own Bitch Face. Doesn’t come as naturally for me as Vivien, and it seems like a pretty handy skill…
Like how I pontificate about art, culture and other random stuff? Check out these posts:
Which Lord of the Rings is Best?
3 Reasons Why Tolkien Is The Bomb
Thoughts on Lawrence of Arabia
An open letter to the French guy I met in Geneva, Switzerland
I have a thing for William Powell
An Open Letter to My Brain
Alan Lee, Kick Ass Illustrator
The post Thoughts On…Scarlett O’Hara, Queen of Kick-Ass appeared first on Ink Monster.
April 25, 2014
Edith with Googly Eyes on Valentine’s Day
Love Edith with the Googly Eyes? Hey, me too!
Be sure to check out more pictures of her awesomeness here.
The post Edith with Googly Eyes on Valentine’s Day appeared first on Ink Monster.
April 17, 2014
My Prince Lincoln Scrapbook
Here’s the back cover pic, in case you missed it:
Some pics that I thought showed the relationship between him and Myla:
Lincoln the warrior:
The inspiration for Lincoln’s jacket at the end of Scala:
And Lincoln the hottie:
Like these?
You can see tons more Angelbound inspirations at my Pinterest Board. Like honestly, I have a problem.
The post My Prince Lincoln Scrapbook appeared first on Ink Monster.
April 15, 2014
Today’s Kindle Daily Deal at 99-Cents: ANGELBOUND
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Amazon Kindle Selects Angelbound For 99-Cent Daily Deal
NEWTON, Mass. – April 15, 2014 – Ink Monster LLC, publisher of new adult romance books in genres of sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance, today announced that Angelbound has been selected as the 99-Cent Daily Deal by ebook powerhouse Amazon.com, and will be heavily promoted across its internet and Kindle properties for a one-day price of $.99, a savings of 75%. This announcement follows a string of successes for the breakout book, including:
A 4.6 out of 5-star ranking on Amazon.com along with stellar reviews
#1 Besteller Status on Barnes & Noble Nook
Featured placement on the iTunes Page for Fantasy iBooks
“We’re overwhelmed with the ongoing traction and accolades for Angelbound,” says Aileen Erin, Editorial Monster. “This is the first time an Ink Monster book has received premium placement from Amazon.com, and we look forward to working together closely in the future.”
At Ink Monster, each book series includes a minimum of three titles across a regular schedule of release dates. The next installment of the Angelbound series (Scala) is due for release on May 13, 2014. More details on Ink Monster’s unique publishing approach may be found in the company’s manifesto. Additional information on Angelbound is listed below.
To find out more, visit www.InkMonster.net. To sign up for the company’s newsletter, please complete the form here.
About Angelbound
Eighteen year old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet.
But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds. What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.
To order Angelbound, please visit the book’s page at Amazon.com today.
About Ink Monster
Ink Monster LLC publishes new adult romance books in the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal romance. The Company follows a studio model with teams of authors developing story-worlds under the umbrella of Ink Monster intellectual property. Ink Monster’s first two books, Angelbound and Becoming Alpha, launch on December 17, 2013. For more information, visit www.InkMonster.net.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial.
Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com.
###Copyright © 2014 Ink Monster LLC. All Rights Reserved. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Media Inquiries: PR@inkmonster.net
The post Today’s Kindle Daily Deal at 99-Cents: ANGELBOUND appeared first on Ink Monster.
April 9, 2014
STIIIIIIIIIIICK! a poem by Ruby the Dog
-a poem by Ruby the Dog
Holy Shit! I love this stick!
You are so nom-nom tasty and
Wow, I can gnaw you with my back molar
And FUCK YOU OTHER DOG
Get anywhere near my stick and I will growl at you
Grrrrrr
This is my stick
And it is the best FUCKING STICK EVER.
How I love you sticky sticky sticky stick.
All other sticks are nowhere near as good as…
Hey, the human who feeds me just threw something
OH MY FUCKING GOD IT’S A STIIIIIIIIIIICK
FUCK THIS OLD STICK
That’s my new stick!
I will run like the wind and
Grab you in my teeth and
Nom-nom-nom
STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICK!
The post STIIIIIIIIIIICK! a poem by Ruby the Dog appeared first on Ink Monster.
April 2, 2014
Thoughts on… Alan Lee, Kick-Ass Chicks, and Fantasy Illustration
This illustration is from the book Faeries, and it goes with a pretty generic block of copy that says something like ‘some faeries like go to war.’ But look at the detail and world-building here. This particular bunch-o-faeries put shields and shit in trees. Why do they do that? Why do you care? It looks right and they all the tree-stuff seems to come from the same design family. It’s not like Captain America’s shield is up there or something. That’s world-building. You have the feeling of a history and culture behind it and you believe it.
The shields also work from a design side by balancing out the top of the image with the gremlin-looking guy at the bottom. Again, this wasn’t spelled out in text (as far as I remember). Lee just put the guy in there because it works as a foil to the fairy chick. She seems more beautiful and ethereal next to troll-dude. It also makes the point that elves and fairies are pretty nasty, too.
OK, on to another kick-ass fairy chick.
In this one, the woman has a more structured gown with lots of detail. Her babe-buddy in the background has a pretty elaborate headpiece on, too. They’re clearly not part of the same group of fighter-eleves we saw above. How hard is that to do? Really fucking hard. All the detail, from the gowns to that fact that they are more into pennant-thingys than shields, has to be thought through, building a universe around these folks that’s so complete, you don’t notice it. You just think it’s cool.
There’s also another troll-like guy to offset the main figure, and to guide the eyes in a pyramid-like pattern across the image. But he’s not as nasty-looking as the other one, and that works better with her harder, more solid dress. This isn’t an ethereal she-elf. She could stick you with that pennant-thingy as much as look at you.
Love this shit.
Okay, last one:
In this case, the structured down goes over-the-top (in a good way) with an elaborate collar thingy. Everything about this babe, from her dress to her collar to the whatever-the-fuck that is in her hand, is all a mix of pointy and a more organic vine-pattern. Again, not the same elves as before. Again, will she do something nasty to you with that thing in her hand? Oh, yeah.
Now, imagine someone saying to you: ‘here’s a pencil and three sheets of paper. I want three different kick-ass she-elves with different clothing styles, minions, and weaponry. Go.’
You’d freak, I’d freak, we’d all freak.
Unless we were Alan Lee, that is. In which case, we’d create the pictures above and go on being awesome.
Like how I pontificate about art, culture and other random stuff? Check out these posts:
Which Lord of the Rings is Best?
3 Reasons Why Tolkien Is The Bomb
Thoughts on Lawrence of Arabia
An open letter to the French guy I met in Geneva, Switzerland
I have a thing for William Powell
An Open Letter to My Brain
The post Thoughts on… Alan Lee, Kick-Ass Chicks, and Fantasy Illustration appeared first on Ink Monster.
