Amos Cassidy's Blog, page 35
March 14, 2015
Welcome Debut Author Laura Greenwood!
We have debut author Laura Greenwood here today and she is so excited about her new release that she is lost for words, or is that the celebratory cake I just shoved in her mouth? So let me fill you peeps in…
Laura has loved books and reading for about as long as she can remember, and has been writing reviews at trips down imagination road for the past couple of years. Laura has a degree in business and French (and is counted as fluent) but since finishing has decided to work in catering, currently working two jobs! She is also a Brownie Guide Leader and loves to bake!
You can tweet Laura at @lauramg_tdir or follow her on facebook at her Author page, Laura Greenwood, or her blog page, trips down imagination road.
Now the exciting bit, check out thie gorgeous cover!
BLURB
Take a journey to an alternate world where not everything is what it seems.
In an effort to have a child, the Queen makes a deal with the Dark King, but she soon discovers that the deal has dire consequences for her beloved Sleeping Beauty. In an effort to help, the Queen’s mother alters the curse so that Keira will sleep for 100 years, but there is a catch; if Keira awakens before then she may still be doomed.
After sleeping for over 90 years, Keira is awoken by Philip, the son of the Dark King and the one she was intended for. Despite sharing his father’s bloodline, Philip refuses to be like his father and won’t make Keira do anything that she isn’t ready for.
Supported by a powerful witch and her brother, Hansel and Gretel, Philip and Keira have to make a choice, one that will define Keira’s destiny. Changing their lives forever.
Grab your copy now!
March 13, 2015
Aurora Out Now!
Fancy a little Post-Apocalyptic action? Well grab yourself a treat because Aurora goes on sale this weekend for under $1. Happy Mothers day peeps!
HAPPY READING!!!!
March 2, 2015
Meet Amy Bartelloni!
Please welcome our final author in our Dystopia month, Amy Bartelloni!
Amy Bartelloni is a reader, writer, & coffee addict who lives with her husband, 3 children, and various animals in the northeast US. When she’s not playing mom-taxi, you can find her with her nose in a book or her head in the clouds. A people watcher and science fiction junkie, she still believes dreams can come true. Some of her favorite authors include Neil Gaiman, Jasper Fforde, Paulo Coelho, and Stephen King she was also crazy cool enough to take our little interview and here it is…
So, when did you know that you wanted to be a writer? Was there a single moment of clarity or did the knowledge just creep up on you?
-I’ve always wanted to be a writer, I just didn’t know it! I’ve had these stories bouncing around my head my whole life – it took a long time to have the guts to actually get them out on paper! I spent far too long worrying about what other people would think. When I decided to write these stories for me – that’s when I was a writer.
Tell us about your writing schedule. Do you write everyday? At the weekends? Or, like us, whenever you get the chance?
–I wrote my whole first book while my son was napping! I was very protective of that time – the phone was off and I had to discipline myself not to do anything else. I cried when he grew out of his nap! But now my kids are all in school so I have time to write while they’re gone. Nights and weekends I’m always shuffling them around, so I try to make time in the morning.
What is it about the Dystopian genre that inspires you?
–I love the ‘what-if’s’ of dystopia. There are a million different possible futures. As someone with a huge imagination, that inspires me. I also love the fact that human nature is still human nature, even if it’s in a post-apocalyptic environment. You’re still going to have the people who panic, the people who are jerks. The heros. I love imagining that the best of human nature will survive
If you could step into any Dystopian future what would it be and why?
–Oh, that’s a loaded question, isn’t it? LOL I think I’d like to have a thing like that show Quantum Leap where I could pick a future, stay there a few days, solve a few problems, then bow out before things got intense.
Zombies are busting down your door, what four objects do you grab?
I’ll be honest, I probably won’t make it, haha. I’d panic. Let’s see – weapons, for sure. Are zombies even affected by mace?? My car keys so I could get the heck out of there. I’m not sure my kids count as objects but I’m not leaving them. I’d like to take the dog and cat too. See – I’m way too sentimental, LOL – I’d be a goner.
How do your storylines evolve? Do you already have it planned where you want to go, or do you let the story take you along with it?
–I’m totally a pantser, i.e. I write by the seat of my pants. Outlining doesn’t work for me, I have to go where the characters take me. And when the characters go somewhere you didn’t see coming it’s the coolest feeling! I usually have a general idea what the conflict is and where I want the story to go, then just ride it out.
If you could choose any Dystopian book in the world to have written which one would it be and why?
–1984 because that was the novel that opened the genre for me, and made me realize how terrifying and entertaining dystopian could be – both at the same time!
If you could be any character from a book who would it be and why?
–My all time favourite book character is Thursday Next from the Jasper Fforde series. She’s a detective who can walk in and out of book world. Aside from that being the coolest thing ever, she’s pretty awesome herself!
What advice would you give to other writers of Dystopian fiction out there who are thinking of self-publishing their work?
–Make sure you run it by a ton of critique partners and beta readers! You’re never going to pick out all your own errors, it’s just impossible. And listening to other people’s feedback, even when it’s hard (especially when it’s hard) is how you learn and grow! I’ve made some pretty awesome friends in the writing community that way, too!
Who is, or are, your favourite author(s)?
–I have so many! I love Stephen King (I’m a Constant Reader!) and I recently discovered his son Joe Hill is an author and his books are amazing, too! I’m a huge fan of Neil Gaiman; American Gods is one of my favourite books. Jasper Fforde is right up there, too! And Paulo Coelho. For YA, I really liked the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series by Laini Taylor.
Okay, some quick fire questions! Don’t think too hard. Just answer…
Super Villain or Super Hero? Hero
Ice-cream or chocolate? Chocolate
Beach or the skiing holiday? Beach
Keep the One Ring or throw it in Mount Doom? Keep it!
Audio or book? Book-paperback
Zombie Apocalypse weapon of choice: Axe or Shotgun? Shotgun for sure! Crossbow if it came with Daryl Dixon!
Thanks so much for taking part in our Dystopia week Amy
To all you avid readers of dystopia and all those who have yet to try it, check out Amy’s novel…
Blurb
Ten years after a pandemic swept the globe, survivors were forced into factions and camps in order to survive…
Jade and Sera are two orphans who have found refuge in a government camp. It is there where Jade falls in love with a young soldier, Anyon. But Anyon has his own secrets, carefully guarding a past that involves Sera. But before Jade and Anyon admit their feelings to each other the camp is attacked and they’re separated.
Jade knows to lead Sera to Albany, the last free camp in the east, but the road is dangerous.
Not only must they dodge pockets of infection, but they are threatened by drifters and gangs. When they arrive in Albany, they find it deserted.
Anyon and his friend Malachi are close on their heels, but not close enough. The Provisional Government is on a mission, and no one is quite prepared for what lies ahead…ANDROMEDA
And if you want to learn more about Amy or simply drop her a message here are some useful links:
http://www.amybartelloni.com
http://www.facebook.com/amybartelloniwrites
http://www.twitter.com/amycipwrites
http://www.pinterest.com/amycip
January 23, 2015
October 9, 2014
Announcement – Goodbye, Indie Author Land…
Hi, everyone :-)
Okay, so we have an announcement to make. We have removed all our work from publication. It is time, we feel, to keep pestering literary agents with our manuscripts, go down the traditional path and all that jazz. We’re rebooting, so to speak. But we’ll still be around. This blog will still be active and we’ll continue to promote and discuss all things indie author – we know how much hard work it is.
We have loved the ride and enjoyed self-publishing so much, but we want to go down this path now. We are working on another novel – a fantasy – which we are very excited about! And we have work out there doing the rounds with literary agents.
Massive thanks for all the love and support. Keep watching the skies for our books to come in the future.
Big love and hugs to all of you xxx
Amos and Cassidy
August 28, 2014
NEW RELEASE: Sleeping with Beauty (Tales from Beyond the Veil – Volume 3)
Here is volume 3 in the Tales from Beyond the Veil series, ‘Sleeping with Beauty’ :-) Now available on Amazon Kindle :-)
Deep in the Forest of Forever, Silver lives an unremarkable life. Betrothed to the River Clan heir Riven, and the darling of her own clan, she is cosseted and pampered, until one day when her accidental eavesdropping alerts her to imminent danger. She flees her home, stumbling into the Ebony Forest and into the clutches of the twisted Vice.
Vice is man cursed, a man filled with nothing but emptiness and Silver is simply another plaything for his potential amusement.
Silver’s life is suddenly filled with unknown danger. She has only two choices; succeed in breaking the curse, or perish trying…
August 16, 2014
RIDING RED AND TAINTED SNOW REVIEWS!
Click on the pictures below to take you to the reviews :-)
RIDING RED
TAINTED SNOW
August 7, 2014
Book Review – Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb
ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE
BY ROBIN HOBB
BLURB:
In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a walking enigma.
Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world, friendless and lonely. Only his magical link with animals – the old art known as the Wit – gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin.
REVIEW:
This is the first book in the Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb…
Right from the beginning, this story had an intense, emotional impact. Fitz’s life is laced with a painful sadness and my eyes did mist over on many occasion. Hobb’s incredible writing, her skill at weaving a beautiful, visceral sentence, pulled at the heartstrings. But there was not only sadness. There was mystery, action, political intrigue, wonderful characters, amazing word-building and delicious writing.
Fitz is a wonderful character and a great narrator, really pulling you into the world with his voice, sharing his experiences and pieces of history from The Six Duchies. Not only is this a fantasy story, but one about growing up, about finding yourself in a tough world, and even one about family. Fitz is our guide, taking us on a journey through his younger years to his teens, our eyes through which we see an amazing yet cruel world, a world adrift in strange times. His is a life of pain and discovery. I cannot wait to read the second volume of the trilogy (Royal Assassin) and see how it all pans out.
I have to say that The Fool is my favourite character! I won’t say anything further about him, just that I think he is awesome! :-)
If you love fantasy, I highly recommended this feast of a novel! Happy Reading! :-)
5 STARS! *****
BUY LINKS:
August 4, 2014
NEW RELEASE!
TAINTED SNOW
The second volume in the Tales from Beyond the Veil Series…
AVAILABLE NOW ON AMAZON AND AMAZON UK
Princess Snow is adored by her people, her gentle and delicate nature means that she is spoken of with love and respect throughout the Kingdom of Crystal. Even her voracious sexual appetites do little to besmirch her name; all they do is make her human, relatable. Her life would be perfect if she wasn’t living in the magnificent shadow of her step-mother the Queen.
The Queen’s distaste for Snow is also a well-known fact, and the tortures she puts Snow through are many and varied. Her her distaste morphs into something more dangerous when Prince Zale – the Prince of Seas – chooses Snow over her. The Queen’s resulting actions set the course for a destruction that will leave little standing in its wake.
Will Snow find happiness, or will the curse placed upon her destroy her completely?
July 31, 2014
Riding Red – New Release!
Scarlett lives with fear and disappointment – fear of what her step father wants from her, and disappointment in her mother for failing to see it. Her life is lonely and filled with darkness, her only sanctuary is the forest behind her small cottage. It is here that she finally steps off the path and encounters Red.
Red is larger than life, solid and real and enticing. He is a man of little words, preferring action to speech and she is instantly drawn to him.
In a small shack in a clearing in the forest Scarlett will find a new home, a passion unlike any other and a secret that will change her world forever.
Scarlett will never be the same again.
