A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 79

Weird Words and Freaky Phrases – British River Names

River Names

The UK has a LOT of waterways. Majestic rivers like the Avon and the Thames, smaller tributaries and tiny streams. Humans have lived close to such sources of fresh water for tens of thousands of years.

The names of these rivers have passed down the years, meandering a bit here and there, like their rivers, but what are the origins? Two thirds of British rivers derive their names from Celtic roots.

Avon –

Gaelic -abhainn

Welsh – afon

Celtic – Brythonic word for river (abona) – so calling it the River Avon is calling it river river….

There are nine rivers in Britain called Avon (or Afon). Five in England, three in Scotland and one in Wales (it’s the Afon Afan – which means river river…)

The largest Avon is 85 miles in length from Naseby (site of the English Civil War Battle 1645) to Tewksbury in Gloucestershire where it merges with the River Severn.

The Avon which flows through the city of Bristol (where I live), is 70 miles from Acron Turville in Gloucestershire to Avonmouth (hence the name) in Bristol where it again joins the Severn at the Severn Estuary. The Avon meanders, the actual distance between the mouth and the start is far less than 75 miles.

(For other Avons see the link below)

https://sites.google.com/site/majorriversofthebritishisles/river-avon.

River Ouse (pronounced like Ooze) also derives for a Celtic word for water (usso).

Thames – Celtic word for Dark Water (Tamissa -Via Latin Tamesis) – the rivers Thame and Tamar also have this root

Wye – Flowing Water

Trent – derives from the Celtic word for Trespasser as it flooded so often.

Dart, Darent, Derwent derive again from the Celtic Brythonic for River where the Oak Trees Grow

The Ock (salmon), Laughern (fox) and Yarty (bear) all get their names from the Celtic words for those animals.

The river Dee – was once worshipped as a goddess (Deva), and people in the Middle Ages thought the river would being them luck.

The Severn is named for the goddess Sabrina.

The River Boyne in Ireland is named after the Irish Goddess Boann (meaning white cow).

Don – derived from Devonna – also a river goddess

Tyne – Brythonic – river

Mersey – Anglo Saxon – Boundary River

Shannon (Irish) – a river goddess

London Inc Bundle

Alternative history, time travel, feisty orphans, steampunk cats, disappearing Dickens and cursed plays, Jack the Ripper – with a twist, terrorists holding London to ransom, beer wars and more in Britain’s capital city.

Ten tales of survival and mayhem in and beneath the streets of London – Join the adventures in this dark and diverse Tales of the City Bundle.

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Love and Romance Festival

Calling all romance readers! It’s more than candy hearts, chocolates and flowers at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Love and Romance Book Festival. 46 romance books featured plus a chance to win one of the following:

 

Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Enter to win a $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Enter to win a $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card

Direct Link:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775095

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My book, Love and Magic, will be featured on 4th Feb. Wait until you read my romantic tip to enhance your love life. You won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this festival and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/love-and-romance-book-festival

 

Lágrimas e Veludo Vermelho

https://books2read.com/Lgrimas-e-Veludo-Vermelho-TCV-Port

Quando o assassinato e o mistério começam na Opera House uma mulher sabe quem está por trás disso, e o que realmente está sob a máscara. Segredos, mentiras e tragédias cantam uma canção poderosa neste conto “poderia ter sido”.

Madame Giry encontra-se envolvido na tragédia que se desenrola na Casa de Ópera; mistério e assassinato perseguem os corredores e, dizem, um fantasma assombra o lugar. Giry sabe a verdade, pois ela se lembra do homem enjaulado que conheceu há tantos anos. Esta é a história dela, a história deles.

Quando o assassinato e o mistério começam na Opera House uma mulher sabe quem está por trás disso, e o que realmente está sob a máscara. Segredos, mentiras e tragédias cantam uma canção poderosa neste conto “poderia ter sido”.

Uma curta e trágica história baseada em personagens de Fantasma da Ópera.

#Histórico, #Fantasia, #FICÇÃO

Dragon Blood – Blog Tour, Giveaway and Guest Post

Dragon BloodDraco Sang Trilogy Book 1by Mary BeesleyGenre: YA Fantasy Cal, a hungry sixteen-year-old sick of mining the sand, wants to fit in and make his ma proud, but instead, his violent tendencies bring shame. And the truth. He’s the son of a Draco Sang. Carriers of the Dragon’s blood, the Draco Sang transform into half human half beast as they mature into adults. And if Cal can’t control the dark impulses of his dragon blood, he’ll grow into a man-beast—and he’ll be hunted. Ferth, son of a Draco Sang chief and last of his class to grow claws, needs to prove his worth to his father, or he’ll be sent to the slave house. Hiding his human heart, he joins the army headed south to conquer the fertile human lands. Neither brother feels they belong. Cal is human, fighting against becoming a beastly Draco Sang, while Ferth is struggling to push back his humanity and transform into a worthy Draco warrior. Before ever meeting in open battle, Ferth is sent to kill Cal. But when he learns they are brothers, he must decide which loyalty is stronger, blood or country. And whether to finally give in to his humanity. Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Books2Read Mary Beesley believes humans are born to create, and promotes creativity in all its beautiful forms. She’s learning calligraphy and watercolor. She loves exploring our magnificent planet and finding all the best places to eat around the world. But nothing beats coming home and sharing a pot of slow-simmered minestrone and homemade sourdough with friends and family. If she’s not in her writing chair, you’ll probably find her hiking in the Utah mountains with her husband and four children. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $25 Amazon giftcard – 2 winners! a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?

Leigh Bardugo, Robin McKinley, Naomi Novik, Sarah Maas, JK Rowling, Madeline Miller, Ken Follett, VE Schwab, Brent Weeks, Jane Austen, Brandon Sanderson…. I must stop, but it is so hard. There are so many great authors out there!

What is your writing process? Every book has been a little different, just like humans, I think each of my books comes with a personality and unique challenges.

Dragon Blood is a trilogy, and I did more outlining on that project than any other because I needed to be very organized to plan three books ahead. But with Betting on Love that’s coming out in 2021, I saw in my mind a scene from it and just went with it with very few notes. With the book, To Unite a Realm, I saw an idea I wanted to explore. I wondered what it would be like to marry someone you hated and what kind of pressure would a person need to be under to accept that kind of marriage.

I have another manuscript that I’m working on that is an adult fantasy, and it’s the hardest draft I’ve ever worked on. This story is big and important and it’s really testing my patience and commitment and creativity. I’ve left it and come back to it three or four times now and I’m still not done with the first draft, but I think in the end it will be that much better for the work and effort.

Usually I like to buzz through the entire first draft start to finish within about three months. I live and breathe and sleep the story, and it’s so much easier for me to stay deep in it than to come in and out and try to keep finding the voice and narrative. Now that I have deadlines and edits due, it’s harder for me to carve out exclusive time to one book, but I’m learning and adjusting.

I will say that with each manuscript, I’ve had to see where I was going before I felt comfortable starting. I don’t usually have a full-fledged outline, but I know several important plot points I’m aiming for and that helps the draft flow. I usually have a notebook full of ideas and have spent months just thinking about the characters and the scenes before I ever start on the first draft.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? I have to spend a good bit of time with my main characters walking around my head before I start writing, but they are far from fully formed until after I start writing and truly seeing them act and come to life. Secondary characters get even less prewriting meditation time so it’s a lot of learning who my characters are as I write and they start to do this. It’s especially exciting when they start to do things on their own and unexpected and interesting things happen.

Do you see writing as a career? YES!

Do you read and if so what is your favorite genre? I read as much as I can. I think it is one of the best ways to improve craft and creativity. I read all the genres—except horror and erotica. My favorites are fantasy and historical fiction, but I love so much that it was hard for me to even narrow it down to those two.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? Silence. Sometimes if I am really all over the place, I’ll put on some classical music to pull myself together, but I just like to really focus in silence. I very difficult for me to draft when my husband or kids are home making noise.

Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose? Harry Potter. Lol. Is there any other answer to that? But I also thought of the Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

How long on average does it take you to write a book? That’s a range as wide as 5 months to 5 years.

The Vault of Kings Blog Tour – YA Fantasy

A Light in the DarknessThe Vault of Kings Book 1by Matt TaylorGenre: YA Fantasy For ten years, the dark mage Maelos has shrouded Evendreil in darkness and oppression. With no hope in sight, many are struggling to survive; others pray that their luck will remain. In searching for answers, Sylas stumbles upon an ancient artifact–a mysterious silver amulet–that confirms the reality of the fabled Vault of Kings. Hoping to overthrow Maelos and end his evil reign, Sylas and his companions set off to find the legendary elemental stones of power that are needed to unlock the door to the vault. If they are to succeed in their quest, they must first learn to master the ancient art of Magick in all of its basic forms: Light, Darkness, Water, Fire, Nature, and Air. Then they must pray that whatever secret is contained in the Vault of Kings will be enough to give them the edge that they need to defeat the most powerful dark mage that the world has ever seen. Goodreads * Amazon AllianceThe Vault of Kings Book 2 Gelendor has fallen. Darkness has descended once again. Despite the danger, Torren has decided to stay in Gelendor to try and form a secret rebellion while the others make their journey towards Sindmyr, the Capital of Light. Once there, Sylas and Samara will need to convince the King of Sindmyr to join their cause and fight back against the armies of Maelos. To be successful, the two young mages will not only need to continue to master the ancient art of Light Magick, but also uncover an ancient secret that has been hidden away beneath the City of Light for generations. A secret that could prove deadly to any who attempt to wield it. Most importantly, Sylas will need to prove that he is worthy to obtain the Stone of Light and unite it with the ancient silver amulet. With two Elemental Stones of power at his side, Sylas will bring himself one step closer to completing the key to the Vault of Kings. One step closer to unlocking the powerful secret that’s been hidden from the world for over a thousand years. Gelendor has fallen to Darkness, but in the Light…there is still hope. Goodreads * Amazon I’m a small town boy from Southeast Idaho. I’ve wanted to share my stories and wild imagination with the world for a long time, and finally decided that now is better than never. I have loved reading fantasy books ever since I was little, but there was always something missing, something that I wished that I could add to the story, to make it mine. Writing a book and putting yourself out there for the world to see is daunting to say the least, but the joy and sense of accomplishment you get from seeing your story out there, for all to read and enjoy is a feeling like none other. I hope that you will enjoy the worlds of my mind, and take part in the adventures that have been hidden from the world, but are now finally being revealed. Website * Facebook * Instagram * Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$25 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

Intergalactic Enosis – Blog Tour #Sci-fi

Fallen WarriorsIntergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System Book 1by Aurora WelkinGenre: SciFi RH Romance We are warriors. We are shifters. We are Saberians.We are the greatest…until we fall. When the females of Saber mysteriously die, Prince Arana, the only remaining member of the Royal family, vows to govern the living and avenge the fallen.As if being the new king was not enough, Arana faces a grave challenge. He and Beast, his sabertooth half, need to play nice long enough to accomplish the only thing that will save them—finding compatible females for his people.He needs to lead his warriors by example, else his failure will cost him more than just his life. Will he locate a mate Beast will accept in time, or will he be leading to doom those he pledged to protect?Fallen Warriors is a 39k words reverse harem romance that ends in a cliffhanger . Arana’s story climaxes in book 2 of the series, Saved Warriors. (No M/M). Happily ever after guaranteed! ** NOTE : This book contains violence, explicit sexual situations, bad-language, and content that some readers may find triggering. If this material offends you, please do not read. Visit aurorawelkin.com for further information. If you love kicka** heroines, drool-worthy aliens who don’t mind sharing, dive in now! This series will appeal to fans of the Dragons in Exile series, the Ozar Triad series, and the Interstellar Brides series.To find out what happens next and be notified of the upcoming releases, sign up for my newsletter! Get Fallen Warriors FREE when you join Aurora’s newsletter!https://www.aurorawelkin.com/ **Get Fallen Warriors FREE when you use one of these codes Jan 6th- Feb 6th!From B&N – use code BNPSDT100From GooglePlay – use code HW98E6RN3FP6H Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Smashwords * Book2Read Saved WarriorsIntergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System Book 2 Abducted by aliens? Check.Caged with other female aliens, only wearing my birthday suit? Double-check.Swoon-worthy male alien brooding my way? Triple-check.Oh, God! I’m in trouble. Saved Warriors, book 2 in the Intergalactic Enosis: The Pyxis System series, is a science fiction alien warrior MFMM reverse harem romance featuring a human female and three aliens that are determined to claim their fated mate. (No M/M). Happily ever after guaranteed! Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Smashwords * Book2Read Aurora Welkin is a Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance author. She lives in Sydney, but every chance she gets, she goes traveling all over Europe. She enjoys reading a little too much, and her loved ones usually find her with her nose in a book. In her free time, she loves strolling along the beach, drinking a cup of cocoa.Aurora’s books can be read as sexy, “stand-alone” adventures, but when read in order, you get so much more from the overarching plot. Despite happenings inside her stories that might not be entirely sunshine and roses, her Happily Ever Afters are always free from cheating because even though her males are aliens, they are possessive alphas who know how to take care of their human women. Fair warning…her heroes are drool-worthy and her love scenes sizzling hot. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $10 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review – The Retreat to Avalon – Historical Fiction/Arthurian Fiction

The Retreat to Avalon – The Arthurian Age – Book I 

Sean Poage

Review – Retreat to Avalon

Fifteen hundred years have turned history into legend…

After three generations of struggle against ruthless invaders, Britain has finally clawed its way back within reach of peace and prosperity. Across the sea, Rome is crumbling under an onslaught of barbarian attacks, internal corruption and civil war. Desperate for allies, Rome’s last great emperor looks to Britain and the rising fame of her High King, Arthur.

Arthur believes the coming war is inevitable, but many are opposed. Dissent, intrigue and betrayal threaten to tear the fragile British alliance apart from within, while the enemies of Britain wait for the first sign of weakness.

Gawain, a young warrior craving fame, is swept up in Arthur’s wake as the king raises an army. While his wife and kin face their own struggles at home, Gawain finds himself taking on more than he bargained for and heading into the greatest battle his people have faced in generations.

***

Gawain is a young warrior, newly married, restless for battle and excitement beyond his settlement but also dutiful to his family and his clan. The Romans have left Britain, but their influence remains. Other forces vie for control and intrigue and alliances are ephemeral.

This is Gawain’s coming of age, in many ways, fulfilling a duty for another man’s cause and finding battle and politics are bedfellows. He’s a complex character – tender to his wife, loyal to his friends and leaders but also headstrong, creative and brave. The author does not shy away from the grimness of battle, the emotions of the men, far away from home and in dangerous territory. There is humour, there is grief. There are conflicting thoughts and needs. There is a land left in limbo, with warlords grabbing what they can.

There is Arthur.

King Arthur is a warrior – charismatic to an almost supernatural degree, yet a man, with a man’s weaknesses – rage, impatience, even hubris. He is a legend but a fragile one. He is the ultimate warrior-king. There is no magic, at least no obvious magic. Merlin appears, he is a mysterious figure with many allies and legends of his own. This is a time when Christianity was new to Britain and many of the old ways and believes lingered. Merlin knows it. Is he a wizard? Yes. Does he cast any obvious magic? No, but that makes him more intriguing and I really hope he appears in later books.

The author weaves a building tale of loyalty and what price that demands. His worldbuilding is detailed and rich, with the complexities of a society finding a new identity in an uncertain world. It’s far more historically accurate than many of the Arthurian legends and tales.

The emotive characters capture the reader and bring to life the trials of living in such a world as this, and such a time as this.

Some of the scenes are long, perhaps a little too detailed – such as the training scenes and day to day camp business, but overall a really good read.

Guest Post – Blog Tour Harvey Havel – Short Fiction #Horror #Scifi #Surreal

Guest Post and Meet an Author 

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I went to a tiny college in Hartford, Connecticut.  In my sophomore year, I joined a fraternity.  In my senior year, there was a fraternity brother of mine named Jason Morfoot who told me this story about a group of guys who wrote poetry and literature all the time, smoked a lot of pot, dropped a lot of acid, and drove around in a psychedelic-painted bus with the Grateful Dead.

Once I heard this story, I asked Jason to tell it to me over and over again, probably to his chagrin.  I was so charmed by what the Beats did way back when that I said to myself, ‘Gee, maybe this writing thing is for me.’  Of course, it never turned out the way it turned out for them, but I never would have gone into writing had Jason not told me about the Beat Generation.  At the time, it sounded like they lived a fairy-tale life.  Perhaps they did.

Where were you born/grew up at?

I was born in Lahore, Pakistan in 1971.  I immigrated to the United States when I was just a newborn.  My family first moved to Buffalo, New York, and over the years, we found ourselves in New York City by the mid-1970s.  Back then, New York City was in dire straits – high crime, intense poverty, drugs, etc.  I still can’t believe how my mother got through it all, living in the toughest neighborhood in the city at the time, which was then known as Alphabet City, or what is currently known as the Lower East Side.  God must have been with her the entire time.  I am really amazed at how she persevered. She was incredible woman, even though our relationship was not.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

I like listening to the radio a lot.  Usually, NPR, or Classic Rock and Roll.

What inspired you to write this book?

Interestingly enough, these stories were somehow stored on my computer for several years before I accidently found them in a hidden file on my hard drive.  I discovered nearly ninety short stories that I forgotten I had ever written.  It turns out that nearly seven or eight years ago, the poet, John Allen of Albany, New York, had asked me to submit stories for his website, The New Surrealist Institute, which is now defunct.  This site had really been thriving, and a core group of authors had submitted avidly to it.  It was also quite popular with many readers.  When the website went offline, I had simply forgotten about the stories.  When I found them, I just knew I had to compile them into a book.

I wouldn’t say that anything in particular inspired me to write these stories, though.  The ideas came to me out of nowhere, which is why it took a lot of effort to construct them.  Some of the political stories were inspired by the 2016 elections, for instance.  There’s a science fiction story that is more a personal response to my past relationships with friends who have now grown up to do amazing things with their lives.  A couple stories are tributes to old friends of mine who had passed on: a painter friend of mine who had committed suicide in the 1990s and also a Black-American bluegrass musician who had recently passed away a couple of years ago.  But I can’t say exactly how I got the ideas for them, which is strange.  They are very diverse and, I hope, fun to read.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Right now, I am working on a book about September 11, 2001, when the Word Trade Center in New York was hit by a terrorist attack.  I haven’t been working on the project consistently as of late, though, but I hope to have it done in a couple of years.  Sometimes, life gets in the way of writing every day, which is something I made sure to do.  But I really do want the September 11th book to be my finest publication, so it is always on my mind, and when I am working on it, I am working really hard.

Who designed your book covers?

I have to do everything on the cheap, as I have self-published for a long time.  I usually find ready-made covers on the web, purchase them, and use them for my book covers.  I use a site called www.selfpubbookcovers.com.  There’s a guy named Rob there who runs the show, and he has always been very responsive and helpful.  He has hundreds of covers to choose from.  Hiring designers for the job is just way too expensive for me.  Ready-made covers from great designers are a great way to package my books.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Never give up!  Never give up!  Never give up!

How long have you been writing?

I have been a professional writer for nearly 30 years without much success.  While I have published 18 books, it seems that it is hard to attract the public to read them.  I am definitely not able to make a living off of any of these books.  Instead, I have a fixed income every month from a variety of sources, including Social Security Disability, that has sustained me for all of these years.  While I am very happy to see all of my peers succeed and do very well in life, it has been equally as difficult to remain within the same income bracket for so long.  But then again, if you are concerned about the money, writing is definitely not the right career path to choose, or so is my experience.

Lately, I have been taking it easier.  I hope to continue writing for the rest of my years, but I do admit that I am a bit tired of always being broke and pinching pennies all the time.  That is the hard part.  But somehow, I have made it through, and my books are all out there, should anyone find them.

What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

I invest a lot in the research process.  After a general story idea comes to mind, I refine that idea into a plot outline.  Once that is done, I target those parts of the plot that I know nothing of. 

For instance, I wrote a book about football.  While I had known about football from playing it in my youth, I needed to investigate how professional players practice, not generally, but specifically.  So, with that example in mind, I had to go to the library, or surf the internet, to find books that detailed the drills that professional coaches used in their practices.  I took this information and then put them on notecards.  Then, I added this information to the plot outline and created a chapter-by-chapter outline with the research included in every respective chapter.  That’s how it has worked for me thus far.

Also, I find it extremely important to include a bibliography at the back of the book, should I use research.  That way, the writing is based not only on my imagination, but also cold, hard facts.  One should always cite one’s sources anyway.  Plus, I have found it really fun doing the research.  It’s incredible how much I have learned about a variety of subjects over the years.  When writing historical fiction especially, research is always key.

What do you think about the current publishing market?

Not much.  But then again, I haven’t read much of what is out there.

Pen or type writer or computer?

I usually hand-write a manuscript, revise it on paper, and then I type it into the computer, constantly revising it. I then print out the manuscript and revise it again.  But I usually do this chapter-by-chapter, not the entire manuscript at once.  I find it easier to break it down into manageable parts.

I used to hand-write it and then use a typewriter, but luckily for everyone, the personal computer came along.

Advice they would give new authors?

Definitely do not put all of your eggs in the one basket of writing.  If you are going to write or edit for a job, or work as a journalist for a decent salary, that’s fine.  But please do not make the same mistake I had made by banking it all on writing fiction novels at an early age.  Even though I have developed as a writer through hardship, I don’t think it was really all that worth it. 

If I had to do it all over again, I would have chosen a career with a good salary, so that I could have afforded a good car, attracted a nice girlfriend, afforded a simple house, and did what most of my peers have done, or at least developed how most people are portrayed in the media of today.  I wouldn’t have had such a cavalier ‘all or none’ attitude about a becoming a writer. 

Betting it all on the one hand and winning at it is the stuff of dreams and fantasy and not reality.  I am definitely not saying that it won’t happen, though, because a new author definitely could hit the big time with a book or a number of books.  But if you find yourself broke and on the street in the freezing cold, as I have witnessed in every city I have lived in, you should really stop and reassess where you are heading.  In my opinion, it is not possible to write under conditions of abject poverty for too long.  Better to get a roof over your head before writing that next line.

The Odd and the Strange:A Collection of Very Short Fictionby Harvey HavelGenre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Surrealist, Fabulist A Collection of Very Short Fiction from a variety of genres, including but not limited to horror, science fiction, politics, and the surreal. These celebrated very short stories have been collected over a number of years and have been published in a variety of online e-zines and posted on various websites. THE ODD AND THE STRANGE by Harvey Havel is a collection of urban tales that toe the line of reality.The subtitle of Harvey Havel’s THE ODD AND THE STRANGE is A Collection of Very Short Fiction . A better one would be A Very Long Book of Normal-Sized Short Fiction . There are 89 stories in all, most 5-10 pages long (though a few stretch to nearly twenty), with unassuming titles like “Visitation,” “Girlfriend,” and “Daughter.” Though set in the real world, the stories tease reality with nameless characters–the candidate, the doctor, the Big Man–and fantastical occurrences, similar to the parables of Jorge Luis Borges (Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, and a key figure in Spanish language literature).Being a librarian, I was eager to read the story “The Librarian.” A young male librarian–unnamed, naturally–looks into a mirror in his office and sees not his reflection but a woman with “walnut hair luxuriously long and her skin as supple as a young girl’s.” He has seen her many times, and though the two cannot touch, they can talk. What do they talk about? The books he steals from the library and passes into the mirror for her to read. Eventually, his boss confronts the librarian over the missing books only to be told that the latter he gave them to his mirror-world girlfriend. To prove this claim, the librarian tries to summon the woman, and when she doesn’t appear, the librarian smashes the mirror. You can imagine the rest.Some stories are less Borges and more Stephen Crane (author of The Red Badge of Courage) : bleak, violent. Like “Lightning Love,” narrated by a wife whose husband changes into . . . something (the twist at the end is brilliant). Others are political fables, like “Santa Claus and Madam Secretary,” which makes Havel’s proclivities as clear as the image on a 98-inch TV. His style can be clunky–one woman’s breasts are described as “shaped like a queen’s”–and some endings are telegraphed. A few stories, like “Sex Toy,” are more like story fragments. Yet THE ODD AND THE STRANGE is quite an accomplishment: unusual, provocative, and honest.Mixing the fabulism of Jorge Luis Borges with the bleakness of Stephen Crane, the tales contained in Harvey Havel’s THE ODD AND THE STRANGE draw the reader into a world they won’t soon forget. ~Anthony Aycock for IndieReader **Get this book at 50% off at Smashwords and check out Harvey’s other books – a lot of them are FREE or on sale at Smashwords too!** Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Smashwords Harvey Havel is a short-story writer and novelist.His first novel, Noble McCloud, A Novel, was published in November of 1999. His second novel, The Imam, A Novel, was published in 2000.Over the years of being a professional writer, Havel published his third novel, Freedom of Association. He worked on several other books and published his eighth novel, Charlie Zero’s Last-Ditch Attempt, and his ninth, The Orphan of Mecca, Book One, which was released several years ago. A full trilogy of this work had been completed a few years after Mr. Big is about a Black-American football player who deals with injury and institutionalized racism. This book was published in 2017. It’s his fifteenth book.The Wild Gypsy of Arbor Hill is his sixteenth book, and his seventeenth is a non-fiction political essay about America’s current political crisis, written in 2019. He has just now published his eighteenth book, The Odd and The Strange: A Collection of Very Short Fiction.Havel is formerly a writing instructor at Bergen Community College in Paramus, New Jersey. He also taught writing and literature at the College of St. Rose in Albany as well as SUNY Albany. Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $15 Amazon giftcard, ebook of choice from author – 1 winner each! a Rafflecopter giveaway

La Torre Rubata

https://books2read.com/StolenTowerItalian

Le creature che hanno invaso i territori non dovrebbero esistere, eppure ci sono.

Dove la magia è fuorilegge, una Sciamana troll chiama, dal letto di morte, la sua erede, Mirandra Var, figlia della tempesta. Mirandra giura di trovare la sua gente perduta, distinguere amici e nemici e rivendicare pericolosi segreti protetti da creature impensabili. Se ci riesce, diventerà la guida della sua tribù. Se fallisce, non ci sarà una tribù da guidare.

(VM 18)

#DarkFantasy, #FantasyAvventura, #FantasyErotica