A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 151
July 9, 2016
Adventures in Marketing – Bundlerabbit
An author friend mentioned https://www.bundlerabbit.com/ to me.
Basically it’s a site where an author can upload his or her book and ‘curators’ can bundle books together to sell as a package. Each author gets a share of 70% royalty and the reader gets five, ten or so books to read for a bargain price.
So if the individual book is 1.99 and there are 5 at that price that’s 9.95 but the bundle might be on sale for, say, 7.50. The authors get 5.25 split between them. That may be a sale they wouldn’t have got for the stand alone.
Currently I’m only putting short books in – to see how it goes. It’s a wee bit fiddly, and obviously one has to register and have a paypal account (for royalties).
https://www.bundlerabbit.com/members/author/product/422
Readers can look at bundles they want – and either pay what they want or the set price – then the books are downloaded to their Kindle. They can opt to donate some of the price to charity
Copyright stays with the individual authors and they can be sold elsewhere. (Unless you’re in KDP Select – but that’s another case.
https://www.bundlerabbit.com/home/faq
Monsters and Myth – Dragons
This post previously appeared as part of https://jenniferloiske.wordpress.com/... which featured last year to promote Heroika: Dragon Eaters
http://www.amazon.com/HEROIKA-DRAGON-S-E-Lindberg-ebook/dp/B00VFVCQRS/
Dragons – why do they captivate us?
Dragons have been part of mythology for centuries. The Welsh, for example, have Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon as the national emblem – a dragon passant (standing with one foot raised) on a green and white background. Although the currently flag is relatively new the mythology of the Welsh Dragon is at least fifteen hundred years old, possible even Roman. The kings of Aberffraw used it to symbolise their power and authority after the Romans left. The first recorded use of it to Symbolise Wales is from the 9th Century (Nennius – Historica Brittonum). Geoffrey of Monmouth linked the dragon to the Arthurian legends – after all King Arthur’s father was Uther PENDRAGON, and so again the dragon is intrinsically interwoven with British myth.
Henry VII (Henry Tudor) had a dragon on his coat of arms – the Welsh heritage again coming to the fore and during the reign of his son, the might Henry VIII the red dragon standard was often flown on Royal Navy ships.
In the Mabinogion the Red Dragon fights the invading White Dragon and his pained shrieks cause women to miscarry, animals to perish and crops to fail. The king of Britain (King Lludd) visits his French brother Llefelys and, on his advice, digs a huge pit, filled with mead and covered with a cloth. The Dragons cease their battle, drink the mead and fall asleep, still covered in the cloth. They are then trapped beneath Dinas Emrys in Snowdonia. Centuries later King Vortigern attempts to build a fort there, and every night the castle foundations are demolished. Wise men tell him to find a boy with no father and sacrifice him – to appease whatever is causing the problem. That boy is Merlin, who will become the Great Wizard, and he dismisses this advice and tells the king about the dragons. The two dragons are freed and continue their fight – the Red Dragon symbolising the people of Vortigern and the White Dragon the Saxons. The latter is defeated – thus these are the Saxons who failed to subdue the people of Vertigorn who would become the Welsh.
Sources: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/The-Red-Dragon-of-Wales/
Dragons symbolise great power and strength. They are, perhaps the most legendary of beasts and to defeat one (or field one) was only the territory of the greatest of heroes. Chinese, Indian, Malayan, Japanese, Khymer, Phillipino, Korea, Catalan, French, Greek, British, Germanic, Scandanavian, Slavic, Romanian, Albanian, Pre-Islamic, Tartar, Judeo-Christian and Turkish mythology all speak of dragons, wyverns, wyrms or basilisks. The ancient Egyptians worshipped a crocodile named the Messah – which later became a dragon, and the sign of Kingship. Think about it – the Nile Crocodile is a supreme predator, a feared monster and little can best it. What better ideal for kingship – powerful, terrifying and unbeatable.
Then of course we have the symbolism of dragons as the ultimate evil – the devil or other wicked beast destroying the good Christians and being vanquished by a Christian Hero. On the other hand Chinese Dragons are seen as lucky.
Dragon literature is diverse – Christian mythology (as mentioned), Norse, Celtic, Beowulf, St George, to name but a few. And more modern writers such as Tolkien, Cindy Lyle, George RR Martin, Cressida Cowell, JD Hallowell, David Gaider and many, many more feature a dragon of one sort or another. Here’s a challenge – type Dragon in the search engine of Good Reads – I tried and there were over 100 pages of books with ‘Dragon’ in the title and that’s just the beginning. Movies, video games, table-top games and toys feature the most legendary of monsters. Dragons are all around us – some kind and benevolent and some much less so. We are culturally bound with Draco and his kind.
St George and the Dragon
This part originally posted here:
I am British, and Britain has a very rich heritage of myth and folklore; we have dragons, we have knights who slay them, we have mythical kings and magic swords, we have monsters inhabiting Scottish Lochs, we have fairies, pixies and ghosts aplenty, we have heroes and antiheroes. Yet many people scoff at fantasy, thinking it is simply elves, dwarves or similar; a genre read by geeks and nerds. Well yes, in part it is, but fantasy and folklore have been with us from the dawn of time in one form or another.
Let’s look at one of the best known English myths – that of St George and the Dragon.
Most accounts claim St George was born in Cappadocia, in what is now Turkey, of Darian origin. He enlisted in the Roman army, and quickly achieved a reputation for his physical strength bravery, loyalty and courage and he achieved a rank of Tribunus Militum, in charge of over 1000 men. He was martyred during the reign Emperor Diocletian in 303 AD in Lydda, Palestine, for refusing to persecute Christians, when Diocletion brought in edicts against what was then a reasonably small but vociferous sect. Including the burning of churches, the destruction of holy scriptures and the execution of Christians. George defended the Christians and their faith and was imprisoned, tortured and executed. There are various accounts of is martyrdom, some claiming it took seven years as God restored him to life three times. His fame was carried as far as Russia, with his head was carried to Rome. His emblem of the red cross on a white background was carried on the tabards and shields of crusader knights. It is also the flag of England and forms the red cross part of the Union Flag of Great Britain. St George is the patron saint of England, taking the role from St Edward the Confessor who is now often forgotten. His tomb attracted pilgrims, and his fame spread when Richard the Lionheart introduced his military cult to England during the crusades and the Battle of Acre, before this his cult appeared in Byzantium. John Cabot carried his emblem to Newfoundland and both Sir Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake flew his standard. It was also carried by the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower.
Jacobus de Voragine in his Golden Legends (13th Century) speaks of him in Silene in Libya. Another 10th Century account places St George in the fictional area of Lasia, ruled by a tyrannical emperor called Silinus. The area had a lake, inhabited by a venomous dragon, local inhabitants would feed it sheep to keep it passive, and then when these failed to satisfy it, children were chosen at random. One day the lottery fell on the king’s daughter, the king offers half his kingdom if his daughter was spared. This is an idea which appears in other mythology – the king – unable to defeat a monster offers his daughter and riches to a hero. St George, the knight, happened to be passing and wounding the dragon with his lance (and with God’s blessing) then capturing the dragon with the princess’s girdle allowed it to be led by the noble lady to the city gates, where St George converted them to Christianity and duly slew the dragon.
In some accounts he was the son of an English Lord, Lord Albert of Coventry and his mother died in childbirth. The babe was stolen by a ‘wild-woman’ of the woods (possibly a witch or gypsy) but he eventually outwits her and becomes a knight. Of course after the slaying of the dragon and rescue of the princess he married the maiden, returned to England and lived happily ever after… Although as with many legends another version states he faces a second dragon, in Warwickshire, kills it but subsequently dies of its poison.
Of course this is a religious myth, and many would say not fantasy as such – the dragon represents evil, and those who slay them champions of Christianity. He is also believed to have protected horses from witchcraft – one should hang a flint with a hole over the stable door with verse depicting him vanquishing a hag. But there is more than religious allegory, he epitomised courtly and chivalrous values; he was a warrior, saviour of damsels in distress and vanquisher of monsters. And some would say religion uses elements we class as fantasy, and ideas which appear in religion appear in myth and folklore. The two are intertwined. The more magical elements of the myth probably appeared after the Reformation, with the overtly Christian inferences stripped out by the Protestants and the more romantic elements of the story take the fore.
His heart (allegedly) lies in Windsor and was a favoured relic of King Henry V, who invoked him at the siege of Agincourt (1415), where the English were victorious against the French, but later kings have claimed his protection and as the patron saint of England his influence is firmly entrenched. There are other local English myths – including one in an Essex village where a dragon (probably a crocodile escaped from the king’s menagerie) was killed by a local nobleman – one Sir George Marney. The Uffington White Horse, in Berkshire, England (an ancient white chalk horse cut into the landscape) has a dragon myth. There is a hill named Dragon Hill, is claimed by Thomas Hughes in his book The Scouring of the White Horse (1859) to have been the site of the slaying of the dragon by ‘King George’. The bare patch is supposed to be where the blood of the dragon spilled, nothing will grow. Hughes cites another region, Aller in Somerset, where a shepherd tells of a hill which saw the death of the dragon and the burial of its slayer. The horse at Uffington is itself curious being linked with Alfred the Great, (878 AD) Hengist the Anglo Saxon leader, Celtic (100BC) but in fact has been in existence since the Bronze Age – around 1000BCE. Brinsop in Herefordshire also claims ownership of St George – its parish church has a medieval carving of the deed being done. The dragon apparently residing in the local ‘Dragon’s Well’ and the next village being known as Wormsley – ‘worm’ or ‘wyrm’ being an alternate word for dragon.
Heroika: Dragon Eaters
This brings me to Heroika: Dragon Eaters. This anthology turns the tables. Our dragons are not the nice sort. They are the alpha predator, the scourge of land, water and sky, they are true monsters. Only the bravest, most desperate or foolhardy take them on and fewer life to tell the tale. Dragon Eaters came from an idea from fantasy author Janet Morris – who wanted a ‘snake eaters’ type of anthology. The best of the best fighting the worst of the worst you might say. What was born was seventeen diverse tales from ancient mythic to futuristic and steampunk. They share a theme, albeit a loose one, and all types of dragons are slayed, vanquished and devoured. I suppose you could say the winners eat the losers. As you’d expect it is filled with blood, scales, fire and magic, swords, airships, flying beasts and so very much more.
Do you have a favourite dragon story? If so feel free to comment on it.
http://www.royalsocietyofstgeorge.com/history_of_st_george.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dragons_in_mythology_and_folklore
http://www.sacred-texts.com/lcr/fsca/fsca16.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_George_and_the_Dragon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Legend
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dragons_in_literature
July 8, 2016
Smashwords Summer Sale – Diana L Wicker
Young Adult/Fantasy Author Diana L Wicker has her books in the Smashwords Sale.
It’s a great fantasy series for young adults and those young at heart. You’ll love Feyron and it’s denizens.
The Dreamweaver’s Journey
Use the code SSW25 at checkout for 25% off
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/351598?ref=ALB123
The Guardian Child’s Return
Use the code SSW50 at checkout for 50% off
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/375972?ref=ALB123
The Legacy of Mist and Shadow
Use the code SSW75 at checkout to get this book for free
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/480227?ref=ALB123
Back Catalogue 6 – Audiobooks
Hi folks, another ‘back catalogue’ interview. Originally published as http://thaddeusthesixth.blogspot.co.u.... Do check out this blog and the fantasy books of Thaddeus White – well worth the read.
How to Make an Audiobook – interview with Alexandra Butcher
Publishing has undergone something of a revolution in recent years, with the advent of e-books and e-readers making it easier than ever to self-publish. There’s also been a resurgence in the popularity of audiobooks. But how does one go about making an audiobook? To answer that (and other) questions, I’ve been joined by Alexandra Butcher, who has recently created the audiobook of The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles.
What’s the premise of The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles?
The book is set in the world of Erana where magic is outlawed and elves enslaved to the humans. The land is run by the Order of Witch-Hunters – a corrupt organisation who rule by fear and division. Magic still persists. It’s a case of either someone is magical or they aren’t, it’s something a person is born with. How well that person hides their skills can mean life or death. The slavers, too, have a lot of power. Slavery is not illegal – in fact the Witch-Hunters encourage it – the trade of flesh pays well and so the Order gets a cut. It also helps to instil fear in the population.
The book begins with Dii, an elven sorceress who had fled from her Keeper, or slave owner’s, home after years of terrible treatment. She knows next to nothing about the world outside – except it’s a very dangerous place and soon enough she encounters the Order.
We then meet Archos, another sorcerer, who is also a wealthy noble and more besides who, unbeknown to the Order, is working to help the elves and other mages escape from servitude or execution. When the slavers ravage a nearby elven village Archos and Dii set out to try and rescue the missing elves and avenge the village, whilst trying to avoid capture by the Order and other jealous enemies.
It’s been labelled ‘sex and sorcery’ as it’s definitely an adult book as there are elements of romance and erotica. It’s pretty steamy in places
Smashwords Summer Sale – UPDATED
I’ve finally managed to load Stolen Tower to Smashwords. It’s also in the sale. Some of the short books are free using the codes in store.
Series Banner
July 1-31st
The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I 50% off
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/290716?ref=ALB123
Use the code SSW50
The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book II 50% off
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/352783?ref=ALB123
Use the code SSW50
The Stolen Tower (new release on SW) – 50% off
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/649087?ref=ALB123
Use the code SSW50
FREE!!!!
The Kitchen Imps
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/627195
Use the code SFREE at checkout to get this book for free
Outside the Walls
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/589416
Use the code SFREE at checkout to get this book for free
July 7, 2016
Author Interview Number 112 -Laurie Boris
Welcome back to Laurie Boris: Thank you for having me back!
Where are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in a small town about a hundred miles north of New York City. After leaving home for college and then five years in Boston, I decided to return to the Hudson Valley, and now I live right between the river and the Catskill Mountains. It’s a lovely piece of the world.
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. I write fiction in a mix of genres ranging from comedy to women’s fiction to literary to romance. Every time I start writing a new novel, my father asks me what it’s about. Sometimes I don’t know in the beginning. I might say “magic,” or “baseball,” or “art,” and he’ll just smile at me and say, “I know you. It’s really going to be about relationships.” So, I guess I do have a few common themes after all.
Do you have a favourite character? If so why?Charlie Trager for the win! He’s been my favorite ever since I met him in Don’t Tell Anyone. There, he’s a secondary character dancing around his attraction to a very unavailable man. Charlie is sharp, witty, loyal to his friends, with many lovable flaws and a fondness for basketball, good scotch, and lost causes. I’m crazy about him and hope we have a few more stories together.
Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off?Ha! Oh, how I longed to. Reynaldo the Magnificent (the magician from A Sudden Gust of Gravity) was at first based on someone I met a long time ago. An evil part of me wanted to bring him in so I could kill him off. But then, as he developed and deepened and became his own person, I just couldn’t do it. That would have been me getting in the way of the story, and I don’t like doing that to my characters. Or my stories.
Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources? It’s too easy for me to fall down the research rabbit hole when I find something interesting, and that leads me astray from the actual writing. So, I try not to do too much researching until I hit the second or third draft. Wikipedia and Google Earth are my main go-to sources. The book I’m currently writing depends a great deal on getting the details right, but I’m trying not to distract myself too much with research.
Sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important…) Great characters are at the root of everything for me. I nurture them, talk to them, invite them to hang out with me and ply them with their favorite treats to get their secrets. The plot and the world-building all flows from what the characters tell me. Technically perfect (or as perfect as I can get it) comes last.
Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? Even though I’m an editor, I revise and self-edit to the extent that I can (after I get input from my critique group and beta-readers) and then call in the professionals for the final look. It’s so hard to edit your own work. Some authors are blessed with that ability, but I’m not one of them.
Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? It depends who is doing the viewing. I’m finding lately that readers care less about the distinction. A good story is a good story is a good story. Other authors and publishing professionals are the ones who seem to care about this more. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a few traditionally published authors, and for the most part, they were open-minded about self-publishing. Some were clearly not on board with what I was doing—one even said I was committing “literary suicide.” Who knows? One day they might be coming to me for advice on how to get started.
What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? It makes me cringe a little when authors complain on public forums about a review or a reviewer. When I publish a book, I’ve made a choice to offer it up for public opinion, and I don’t get to intrude. But I do believe that reviews are important. They can help potential readers decide if a book is worth the investment of their time and money, because study after study points to “average reader” reviews being more trustworthy than paid reviews. And having a good number of reviews mean that I’m more likely to get good promotional opportunities, which can help me sell more books.
What are your reviews on authors reviewing other authors? Authors are usually voracious readers, so why are our opinions any less valid or desirable? I don’t buy the argument some try to make that authors shouldn’t post reviews of what they read, even if it’s in their own genres. As long as the review is based solely on the work and not on any other agenda.
Do you have a favourite movie? I’m a sucker for romantic comedies with sparky dialogue, ever since I saw The Philadelphia Story when I was a teenager. My all-time favorite at the moment is When Harry Met Sally. Brilliant writing, great casting, great comic timing.
Can you name your worst job? Do you think you learned anything from the position that you now use in your writing? I don’t think any experience is wasted, if you’re a writer. My career has mainly been in the creative departments of marketing, advertising, and publishing companies, and employees there don’t tend to stay in one place for too long. I’ve weathered the layoffs, buyouts, and occasional stints as a freelancer or temp worker. All these different opportunities have fed my writing in ways I never would have imagined. I covered a lot of zoning board meetings for the local newspaper, and I got to use that in a novel. I was a magician’s assistant, and I used that, too. I spent a few months working for a temp agency that hired roadies for rock bands. That was a lot of fun, and I haven’t found a place for that yet in my writing, but I’m sure I will at some point.
Can you give us a silly fact about yourself? Wendy Pini, co-creator of Elfquest, once sat in during a critique group session where I was reading a bit from my first novel, a story about a comic book writer. She offered me a job. Silly me, I turned her down, because I didn’t think I had enough experience. I often wonder why I did that.
Book links, website/blog and author links:
Website: http://laurieboris.com
Mailing List: http://laurieboris.com/contact_laurie
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Laurie-Boris/e/B005I551QA
Smashwords Author Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LaurieBoris
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/laurie.boris.author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LaurieBoris
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4824645.Laurie_Boris
Book Spotlight – A Sudden Gust of Gravity – Laurie Boris
Basic Book Spotlight
Title: A Sudden Gust of Gravity
Author: Laurie Boris
Genre: Romance, romantic suspense
Main character description (short).
Christina Davenport is a twenty-five-year-old waitress living in Boston. She’s a graceful and athletic young woman, green-eyed and curly-haired. She’s down on her luck at the moment, surviving on tips and her sardonic sense of humor, but buried within her is the desire to build a new life for herself. All she has to do is figure out how.
Synopsis:
Waitress Christina Davenport lands in a world of trouble when she accepts a job as an assistant to a charming street performer. She’d wanted to be a magician and vowed to never again stand in the background holding some guy’s props, but Christina has a score to settle—with her traumatic family history, with people telling her she can’t hack it on her own. Reynaldo the Magnificent is more than a little full of himself and has a dark side, but to Christina, he could be her second chance, her redemption, her ticket to something bigger. If only she can learn from him before he discovers her secrets.
Brief Excerpt 250 words:
“Got a résumé?” he asked.
Christina shook her head.
“Video?”
Again, she shook her head.
“Performing experience?”
She wondered if waitressing counted. Because she damned sure wasn’t telling him about her father.
He leaned back, tapping a pen against his open notebook, and narrowed his eyes at her, grinning a hitch as if she were an intriguing puzzle he couldn’t solve. Then he pointed the pen in her direction. “I like you, though. There’s something about you. And you’re easy on the eyes. I think we can work with that. What do you know about magic?”
Again, not talking about her father. What he’d taught her. The hours she’d practiced. Or why she’d stopped. In case he got the wrong idea about her intentions, Christina decided it was better to plead ignorance. She swallowed and curled a hand around her mug.
“Um…abracadabra?”
“Cute. You’re cute.” He scribbled some notes. “We can work with that, too.” He paused a moment. “What were you doing in the magic store?”
“Like I said. I saw something shiny in the window.”
He gave her a long, flat stare. She exhaled and let her shoulders relax. “Okay. I was looking for a present for my little cousin.”
He tapped the pen again. “Tyke wants to be the next big thing?”
“I guess.”
“Well, tell him to stop it. We don’t need the competition.”
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll get him socks and underwear.”
“And she has a sense of humor. We’ll have to train you out of that. I do the jokes in this act.”
Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?
Sparking with intrigue and romance, A Sudden Gust of Gravity is set into the world of street magic in contemporary Boston. Beyond that, it’s an uplifting and entertaining tale about redemption, second chances, and not settling for less than you deserve.
Links etc.
A Sudden Gust of Gravity: https://www.amazon.com/Sudden-Gust-Gravity-Laurie-Boris-ebook/dp/B017QEIES2/
July 6, 2016
Writing for Shared Universes: Guest Post by @WestonAndrew #amwriting #books #SFF
A great interview with a great author;)
POTL: All Things Books, Reading and Publishing
As some of my readers will be aware, as well as being the creator of the IX Series (The IX – Exordium of Tears – Prelude to Sorrow – TBR) I also devised the rather dark and devilishly intense character of Daemon Grim.
Now, this guy is none other than the Grim Reaper himself, Satan’s chief bounty hunter and go-to guy in times of trouble, and you get to read about his trials and tribulations in the #1 international bestseller, Hell Bound, and the sequel due toward the end of this year through Perseid Press, Hell Hounds.
The thing is, there’s more to the Reaper than first meets the eye, as his exploits form part of Janet Morris’ critically acclaimed Heroes in Hell shared universe.
Don’t know what Heroes in Hell is all about?
Heroes in Hell is a series of shared world fantasy books, within the genre Bangsian fantasy, created…
View original post 1,063 more words
July 3, 2016
The Man who Won the Hand of the Fair Maid of Kent — Lenora’s Culture Center and Foray into History
Originally posted on History… the interesting bits!: Sir Thomas Holland, Earl of Kent Having recently written about William Montagu, 2nd Earl of Salisbury and husband of Joan of Kent, I thought it only fair to write an article on William’s love rival, Thomas Holland. The 2nd son of Robert Holland, Lord Holland of Upholland, Lancashire,…
via The Man who Won the Hand of the Fair Maid of Kent — Lenora’s Culture Center and Foray into History
So Many Freebies — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog
Originally posted on A Creative State of Mind: For a very limited time, most of my books are free. Yes, that’s right. Free! Here are the details: On Kindle, you can download the following books for free now through July 5th: Sweet Sorrow The Fifth Circle Better than Perfect The Seance On Smashwords, for the…
via So Many Freebies — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog
