Graham Downs's Blog, page 25
July 12, 2016
Book Review: Mind's Eye by Douglas E. Richards
About the Book
When Nick Hall wakes up in a dumpster--bloodied, without a memory, and hearing voices in his head--he knows things are bad. But they're about to get far worse. Because he's being hunted by a team of relentless assassins. Soon Hall discovers that advanced electronics have been implanted in his brain, and he now has two astonishing abilities. He can surf the web using thoughts alone. And he can read minds. But who inserted the implants? And why? And why is someone so desperate to kill him?
As Hall races to find answers, he comes to learn that far more is at stake than just his life. Because his actions can either catapult civilization to new heights--or bring about its total collapse.
Extrapolated from actual research on thought-controlled web surfing, Mind's Eye is a smart, roller-coaster ride of a thriller. One that raises a number of intriguing, and sometimes chilling, possibilities about a future that is just around the corner.
My Review (4 / 5 Stars)
So this guy wakes up in a dumpster, and discovers he has no idea who he is, where he's from, or how he got there.
He quickly figures out that some very dangerous people are out to kill him, but he doesn't know why. He learns this based on a very strange ability he also realises he has: he can read people's minds.
While on the run, he meets a woman, and a romantic entanglement ensues.
If you think you've heard this story before, you may be right... but you've never heard it like this before!
The tale is woven so beautifully, so effortlessly, that everything feels completely natural, and nothing is forced. I was carried away by this story, and fully believed every scenario presented to me. Even the ending, while maybe a little far-fetched, was perfect. It took me totally by surprise (I did NOT see it coming), but everything was explained so thoroughly, I was left absolutely satisfied.
The writing and editing are flawless too, and there's not a single typo, glitch, or plot issue that I can remember.
This truly is a marvelous book, and my hat's off to the writer.
There's one tiny detail, that caused me to dock a star off my review. The Kindle edition which I read doesn't have a linked table of contents. That's important to me, because it means that my Kindle wasn't able to tell me how much longer I had to go in a chapter. It's not an issue in a print book, where you can easily flip forward a couple of pages and figure it out, but it's almost impossible in an ebook.
But no matter, that's easily fixed. Again, great book. Technothriller fans, stop what you're doing, and go read it. Now.
Buy Now
July 5, 2016
25% Off My Books at the Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale 2016
From 1 to 31 July, 2016, Smashwords will be holding their annual July Summer/Winter Sale, with massive discounts on e-books.
July is mid-summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but what those northerners often forget, is here in the South, it's the middle of winter. And it is cold!
I love this annual Smashwords event, because I appreciate their inclusivity. So if you, like me, find yourself huddled under a blanket at this time of year, why not read a book?
How it WorksEach book enrolled in the promotion has a coupon code associated with it:SSW25 - For 25% offSSW50 - For 50% offSSW75 - For 75% offSFREE - For 100% offWhen you click on a book that's part of the promotion, Smashwords will tell you what coupon code you need to use, and what discount you can get. Click the Buy button, and follow the instructions. Don't forget to fill in the coupon codes when prompted.
My BooksThis yeaqr, two of my books are enrolled in the promotion: A Petition to Magic and Stingers. And then of course there's Billy's Zombie, which is free anyway. See below for the links (click the cover or title to visit the book's Smashwords page):
A Petition to MagicPrice $1.49 $1.1225% off with code SSW25Queen Celeste rose to the throne of Virdura a month ago, after the sudden death of her mother.
Desperate to prove herself, she agrees to hear the case of a simple farmer who claims a neighbour stole his cow.
To help her in this task, she orders her chief advisor, the royal wizard Solon, to cast a spell and divine the truth for her. Solon, however, is keeping a terrible secret.
StingersPrice: $1.79 $1.3425% off with code SSW25 Thirteen year old James Clarke is always being picked on in school. He hates sports, and he particularly hates Stingers, a schoolyard game in which children throw tennis balls at each other. The other kids always seem to throw the ball harder, when it's at him.
One day, James' mom phones the school to try and put a stop to the bullying, but it only gets worse.
Billy's ZombieFreeYoung Billy MacIntyre has always been a weird kid, always taking every little slight to heart.
One day, he decides that he's had enough of the relentless mocking and bullying at school and around town.
He decides to exact his revenge on all those simpletons who have done him wrong. And he does it by taking a book of Necromancy out of the library, and raising a zombie from the dead!
Other Books on SaleBesides those books, there are literally thousands of other books in the catalogue, all with discounts ranging from 25% to 100% off. For the full list of books on promotion, click here.
June 28, 2016
The RBTL Tales From Virdura Blog Tour is Over. Were You There?
Phew!
So, my first ever blog tour is over, and I have to say, it was quite a rush. In case you missed any of them, here are the direct links.
Read Between The Lines
The Book Quarry
Andrew Jericho
My World
Ramblings of a Book Nerd
Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf
Between the Pages
Click the links to view the posts, and let me know you did by posting a quick comment. :)
So, my first ever blog tour is over, and I have to say, it was quite a rush. In case you missed any of them, here are the direct links.
Read Between The Lines
The Book Quarry
Andrew Jericho
My World
Ramblings of a Book Nerd
Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf
Between the Pages
Click the links to view the posts, and let me know you did by posting a quick comment. :)
June 21, 2016
Animals: Premium Children's Colouring Books
Here's something you may not know about me. Or rather, my wife. She loves putting together colouring books for our nieces and nephews. Be it a birthday, Christmas, or just because, she scours the Internet looking for black and white line drawings. She compiles them, puts them in order, prints them out, and ring-binds them to give to the kids.
It was our three-year-old niece's birthday this month, and of course, she got a colouring book (we bought her a "real" gift, too). When her mother did one of those "Kids' Interview" things with her, and asked her what her favourite book was, she said "The colouring book that Aunty Elmari gave me." That brought a lump to our collective throats, I can assure you!
But it also got us thinking. Maybe we could actually do this. If our nieces and nephews loved their colouring books so much, maybe other kids would, too.
And so, Premium Children's Colouring Books was born. We intend to do a whole series of them, each with a different theme. The first one, Animals, is out now:
This book provides hours of colouring fun for children (and grown-ups) aged three and up.
It's a beautiful A4 colouring book, comprising of 64 crisp white colouring pages. Adult colouring books are all the rage these days, but ironically, the children are being left behind. This one's just for them.
The book is currently available on Lulu for $3.60, but hopefully you'll be able to find it everywhere else online in a few months.
If it's a success, we'll be releasing the next book in the series quite soon (let us know in the comments what you think that next theme should be - cars? sports? something we haven't thought of yet?).
Are you interested? It would be great if, while you wait for it to arrive in your mail, you would go and add it to your Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf. Every little bit helps, to spread the word to as many parents as possible.
So, what do you think? Will this work, or is it just a waste of time and money?
It was our three-year-old niece's birthday this month, and of course, she got a colouring book (we bought her a "real" gift, too). When her mother did one of those "Kids' Interview" things with her, and asked her what her favourite book was, she said "The colouring book that Aunty Elmari gave me." That brought a lump to our collective throats, I can assure you!
But it also got us thinking. Maybe we could actually do this. If our nieces and nephews loved their colouring books so much, maybe other kids would, too.
And so, Premium Children's Colouring Books was born. We intend to do a whole series of them, each with a different theme. The first one, Animals, is out now:
This book provides hours of colouring fun for children (and grown-ups) aged three and up.It's a beautiful A4 colouring book, comprising of 64 crisp white colouring pages. Adult colouring books are all the rage these days, but ironically, the children are being left behind. This one's just for them.
The book is currently available on Lulu for $3.60, but hopefully you'll be able to find it everywhere else online in a few months.
If it's a success, we'll be releasing the next book in the series quite soon (let us know in the comments what you think that next theme should be - cars? sports? something we haven't thought of yet?).
Are you interested? It would be great if, while you wait for it to arrive in your mail, you would go and add it to your Goodreads "Want to Read" shelf. Every little bit helps, to spread the word to as many parents as possible.
So, what do you think? Will this work, or is it just a waste of time and money?
June 14, 2016
Book Review: Solomon's Porch by Wid Bastian
About the BookA prison inmate caught in the crossfire between God and SatanPeter Carson, a white-collar inmate at a low-level U.S. Federal prison camp, is given a vision by God to be shared with the world. The most unlikely of divine messengers, Peter is prophetically destined to provide the world with hope and miracles and to proclaim the Kingdom of God. Will the prisoner become a prophet?
Backed up by divine intervention, Peter is surprisingly supported by inmates, as well as the warden and famous theologians. Astounding supernatural events begin to take place all around the world, involving even the president of the United States. But Satan is quick to strike back, doing everything in his power to stop Peter from executing God's plan. The world holds its breath as the unbelievable takes place. Will the message be heard?
My Review (3 / 5 Stars)This is a difficult book to review. I liked the story, but it wasn't anything like any Christian fiction I've read before.
In most Christian fiction, the protagonist believes in God (or comes to believe in God) as a given. He's there, in the background, and characters make their big life decisions prayerfully, trying to discern what God wants in a given situation.
In this book, it's almost as if God Himself is the protagonist, and there isn't a single scene, or practically a single line of dialogue, that doesn't mention Him. It's cool, don't get me wrong, but it took a bit of getting used to at first.
The writing's not great, and the style is often inconsistent. In some places, when a character speaks over multiple paragraphs, the author doesn't close the quotes at the end of each paragraph. In other such cases, he does. All speech is in double quotes, but sometimes, quotes within quotes ALSO use double quotes, and other times, they use single quotes. It makes it difficult sometimes to figure out who is speaking.
There are also some incorrectly used words, or even non-existent words ("alright" is a bugbear of mine - there's no such word).
But what bothered me the most was the author's treatment of swearing. Now, it's plain to me that the author believes that using certain words, in and of themselves, constitutes sinful behaviour. I don't agree with that view by any means, but I can respect it.
The problem is, that these words that the author considers sinful are "starred out", so you see for example, "s***" written in the text. It feels to me as if I'm watching a movie with the audio channel set to "Family". I don't know if you've ever done that, but I find it incredibly distracting, and after a while I just cannot concentrate on the story anymore.
There are plenty of wonderful books out there that don't contain any swear words, and I don't miss them at all. When they're there, but censored, you'd better believe I miss them! Honestly, if you're going to include something in your writing, don't censor it. If you're not comfortable including it uncensored, then don't include it at all.
The other problem with this approach is the subjective way in which the author chooses which words to censor. "Crap" is acceptable, but "shit" is not. "Ass" is censored, but "bitch" and "whore" are apparently quite okay to use, as is the word "nigger".
Seriously, nigger? Last I checked, Amazon refuses to publish reviews containing that word. Maybe Goodreads will too. We'll see after I hit Save.
Now as a Christian, I personally have a big problem with using the Lord's name in vain. I find it far, far worse than the odd "fuck" or "shit", but here, characters spout out "Oh my God" with impunity; even the non-Christians, and nobody rebukes anybody for that.
Other than that language rant, I enjoyed the story. I thought the theology was quite sound, and the ending was brilliant. It wouldn't at all surprise me if things actually did play out exactly that way, when the time comes.
But then, I'm a Christian, and I also take the existence of God as a given. As to a non-Christian? Well, I hope that God moves them to read this book, but I doubt many will. For those that do, I hope they can get past their prejudices, and that it will help bring them to salvation in Christ Jesus.
No, scratch that. I pray that it will. I pray that in all earnest.
Edit: I tried to paste this same review into Amazon, and it wouldn't post. Probably because of the word "nigger".
Buy Now
June 7, 2016
Coming Soon: RBTL Blog Tour for Tales From Virdura
As you no doubt know, I've been incredibly busy over the past month or so, promoting the release of my new Flash Fiction collection, Tales From Virdura.
The book was on pre-order all of last month, and it officially released last week, on 1 June. And I'm pleased to announce that I'm going to be featured in a blog tour this month!
From 21 to 28 June, 2016, I will be featured on the following blogs:21 June: Read Between The Lines 22 June: The Book Quarry23 June: Andrew Jericho24 June: My World25 June: Ramblings of a Book Nerd26 June: Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf27 June: The Recipe Fairy28 June: Between the PagesIf you're going to be online on any of those days, please do me a favour and pop in to say hi. :-)
The book was on pre-order all of last month, and it officially released last week, on 1 June. And I'm pleased to announce that I'm going to be featured in a blog tour this month!
From 21 to 28 June, 2016, I will be featured on the following blogs:21 June: Read Between The Lines 22 June: The Book Quarry23 June: Andrew Jericho24 June: My World25 June: Ramblings of a Book Nerd26 June: Dante Eternal's Virtual Bookshelf27 June: The Recipe Fairy28 June: Between the PagesIf you're going to be online on any of those days, please do me a favour and pop in to say hi. :-)
May 31, 2016
2 Things You Didn't Know About the Kingdom of Virdura
My latest book, Tales From Virdura, releases worldwide tomorrow. It's the second book in the Kingdom of Virdura series, four years after the release of my first book, A Petition to Magic.
Tales From Virdura is not really a sequel to A Petition to Magic, but it's set in the same world, and contains stories about many of the same characters. Here's the blurb:
In honour of the release, here are two things about the Kingdom that you may not know.
The Kingdom of Virdura was originally going to be known as the Kingdom of Agrianova
That's right: in an early draft of A Petition to Magic, that's what I called it. Boy, am I glad my wife convinced me to change the name. Can you imagine how "Tales From Agrianova" would've sounded?
The Naming of Solon
For those of you who don't know, the name of the Royal Wizard and Queen's Advisor in A Petition to Magic, is Solon.
I've been asked where I came up with the name, because it turned out to be so apt.
Well, to be honest, it happened purely by accident. You see, one of the ways in which I come up with the names of my characters, is to use That's what happened with Solon. I had no idea at the time that Solon was the name of a famous Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet, but the people who asked me where I'd come up with the name, sure did!
I now agree that Solon is a great name for the Royal Wizard, but just think: he could have just as easily been named Bob!
Tales From Virdura is not really a sequel to A Petition to Magic, but it's set in the same world, and contains stories about many of the same characters. Here's the blurb:
Explore Virdura, a world full of fantasy, magic, and drama.
Find out what happens when a dashing young farmer's son swoops a neighbouring daughter off her feet.
Meet Queen Tricia and the Royal Wizard Solon. Or Queen Celeste, her daughter, as she continues to struggle to come to terms with her new role as queen after the death of her mother.
Or read about Tobin the Bounty Hunter as he takes down Jarvis, a merciless criminal who brutally slit a blacksmith's throat.
All these stories and more await you in Tales From Virdura, a collection of flash fiction stories that take you deep into the world and the lives of the characters who inhabit it.
If you enjoyed reading A Petition to Magic, this might just be your next read.
You'll find out more about old characters and meet new ones. You'll read prequels and origin stories, and you'll read original stories taking place in new locales within the Kingdom.
This book can be enjoyed as a companion to, or separate from, A Petition to Magic.
In honour of the release, here are two things about the Kingdom that you may not know.
The Kingdom of Virdura was originally going to be known as the Kingdom of Agrianova
That's right: in an early draft of A Petition to Magic, that's what I called it. Boy, am I glad my wife convinced me to change the name. Can you imagine how "Tales From Agrianova" would've sounded?
The Naming of Solon
For those of you who don't know, the name of the Royal Wizard and Queen's Advisor in A Petition to Magic, is Solon.I've been asked where I came up with the name, because it turned out to be so apt.
Well, to be honest, it happened purely by accident. You see, one of the ways in which I come up with the names of my characters, is to use That's what happened with Solon. I had no idea at the time that Solon was the name of a famous Athenian statesman, lawmaker, and poet, but the people who asked me where I'd come up with the name, sure did!
I now agree that Solon is a great name for the Royal Wizard, but just think: he could have just as easily been named Bob!
May 24, 2016
My Favourite Short Stories
With May being Short Story Month, I thought it would be nice to list some of my favourite short stories (that weren't written by me).
So I went through my Goodreads read list, and I came up with the following:
Sweet Violent Femmes by Holly M. Kothe (Collection)
These four short stories are all quite different, but they're all about women who've been hurt. In some, the hurt is once-off; in others, it's caused by systematic abuse. In some, the women are psychologically jaded or damaged at the outset, and in others they're perfectly normal, seemingly well-adjusted people until something pushes them over the edge.
I found myself struggling as I read the stories, to decide which one I would say was my favourite. In the end, it was impossible because I just loved them all so much.
These stories touched me in a way that no story has, for a really long time. They're all beautifully written, vividly detailed in their descriptions, and visceral in the emotions and experiences of the main characters.
Buy Sweet Violent Femmes from Amazon, or in paperback from Loot in South Africa.
Dangerous Voices by Rae Carson
This is a really entertaining little story about a man who is a "music mage" (makes magic with his song). He's been imprisoned for a really long time, and doesn't sing for fear of his guards killing him (a not unfounded fear).
It took a couple pages to really get into the story, to figure out what was going on, but once that happened I became truly and deeply invested in his fate, and the fate of a companion that he acquires early on.
The writing is awesome, and the ending is stunning. If you can spare thirty minutes or so to read it, do!
Get Dangerous Voices free from Smashwords.
Cage Life by Karin Cox (Collection)
These two short stories fit the title of the book perfectly.
Still Life was amazing! It tells the story of a young single mother, disillusioned with her marriage and her husband. It's very believable, and I really felt her frustration throughout. My heart sank at some of the tragedies she had to endure, and I cheered inwardly at some of the victories that she won.
The Usurper was also very good. It's about an ailing old man who's been taken in by a much younger women, who loves him and whom he falls in love with. It's the story of their relationship together, and the trials that it faces.
Definitely a great couple of stories, well worth the read. Karin Cox's writing style is... well, not quite unparallelled, but very pleasant indeed!
Buy Cage Life from Amazon.
Five Rows Back: A Short Story by Dan Kolbet
I really enjoyed this little story of a girl who suffers from (presumably) OCD. She is obsessed with, and consequently stalks, a man on a bus, and everything she does has to be in a number divisible by five.
Why she's stalking the man is surprising, and the ending is very good. This is a well written book that really gave me pause and made me think.
Get Five Rows Back free at Smashwords.
The Visitation by Jo Robinson
A pretty cool story, with lots of food for thought. Is humanity really inherently evil, and do we deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth for the atrocities we've caused? Maybe, but there are two sides to every story.
It was good to read a South African author again, and I could almost hear her speaking to me in a dialect, and with an accent, that I can identify with.
Buy The Visitation from Amazon.
The Harpers by L.L. Watkin
It didn't take me too long to get into this intriguing short story. Two brothers, sharing the same mother but different fathers, live together under one roof. The eldest has possessed magic for quite some time, but the youngest has only recently discovered his own gift.
It's an enthralling read, and quite "different" to the usual fantasy staples. You can finish it in an hour or two, and I recommend you do, if you're a fan of the genre.
Buy The Harpers from Smashwords.
When God Whispers Loudly by Chris M. Hibbard
This is a really inspirational and thought provoking Christian story. It's about an un-named protagonist who's driving home from work today, cursing God for everything that's gone wrong in his life. He has a car accident, and proceeds to learn some very important life lessons.
I enjoyed the story, it had a good plot, and some interesting twists and turns. There were one or two points I didn't really get, but overall it's a good, strong read.
Get When God Whispers Loudly free, at Amazon or Smashwords.
Swords and Scimitars by Cate Rowan
This is a pretty cool little short story. It concerns two brothers, sons of gods, who are horsing around one day when something terrible happens.
One of the brothers winds up going down to Earth, and ruling his country with an iron fist.
It's pretty well written, and a wonderful introduction to the author's fantasy world. If I had any issues with it, it would be that the formatting of the ebook that I read on Scribd leaves a little to be desired. Firstly, there's lots of front-matter to get through, mostly praise for the author and the story, before I even get to read the thing. Secondly, there isn't really a proper table of contents, which I find frustrating when I have to decide when to stop reading for a session.
All in all, I enjoyed it. It's described as romance, which I don't normally enjoy. The thing is, while there are some romantic elements in it, I personally wouldn't put it in that genre.
Buy Swords and Scimitars at Amazon or Smashwords.
Root Canal by Sharon C. Williams
At first glance, this seems like a rather silly concept for a story, but by golly, it works!
This is the story of a tooth inside the mouth of a woman, who doesn't take care of her teeth very well. One day, the tooth begins to ache, and it (it's written in first-person, from the tooth's perspective) hopes against hope that its host will take it to the dentist, and also that it won't need to be taken out and thrown in the trash.
There isn't really much point to the story, and it isn't obvious that it means that people should take care of their teeth, although I gather that was the moral the author was going for. Even so, I really enjoyed it! My only concern is that, with the story being as short as it is, it was kind of annoying to have to wade through 20% of front-matter first, before getting into the story. If the story were longer, I would say move all that stuff to the back, since people read differently on e-readers, and it's not so easy to just skip past it as it would be in print (and also it means people who sample the book get less of the actual story to sample). But with the story this short, I'd say most of it can be dispensed with altogether.
Buy Root Canal from Amazon or Smashwords
Crutch by Alex Rushmer
Conner's parents are very nervous at dinner. It's the eve of Conner's eighteenth birthday, and tonight he must complete a coming of age ceremony that could very easily result in his death. To add a bit of a twist to this story, Conner is disabled, and nobody holds out much hope that he's going to survive the ordeal. The book doesn't explain the exact nature of his disability, only that he walks around on crutches.
It's a pretty good story, very vivid in its descriptions. I'm surprised that it's written by a fifteen year old girl. It does leave some questions unanswered, though.
Buy Crutch from Amazon or Smashwords.
So what do you think? Have you read any of these short stories? Are there any gems that I've missed?
About Graham DownsI'm a self-published fiction author living in South Africa. At the moment, I write short stories, novelettes, and flash fiction collections, in a range of genres. These books are perfect for people who long to read, but don't have the time, because they can be read in short, sharp bursts, like during your lunch break, or while your baby's catching a nap!
To find out more about me, and what I have on over, go take a look at my website, at http://www.grahamdowns.co.za/.
So I went through my Goodreads read list, and I came up with the following:
Sweet Violent Femmes by Holly M. Kothe (Collection)
These four short stories are all quite different, but they're all about women who've been hurt. In some, the hurt is once-off; in others, it's caused by systematic abuse. In some, the women are psychologically jaded or damaged at the outset, and in others they're perfectly normal, seemingly well-adjusted people until something pushes them over the edge.
I found myself struggling as I read the stories, to decide which one I would say was my favourite. In the end, it was impossible because I just loved them all so much.
These stories touched me in a way that no story has, for a really long time. They're all beautifully written, vividly detailed in their descriptions, and visceral in the emotions and experiences of the main characters.
Buy Sweet Violent Femmes from Amazon, or in paperback from Loot in South Africa.
Dangerous Voices by Rae Carson
This is a really entertaining little story about a man who is a "music mage" (makes magic with his song). He's been imprisoned for a really long time, and doesn't sing for fear of his guards killing him (a not unfounded fear).
It took a couple pages to really get into the story, to figure out what was going on, but once that happened I became truly and deeply invested in his fate, and the fate of a companion that he acquires early on.
The writing is awesome, and the ending is stunning. If you can spare thirty minutes or so to read it, do!
Get Dangerous Voices free from Smashwords.
Cage Life by Karin Cox (Collection)
These two short stories fit the title of the book perfectly.
Still Life was amazing! It tells the story of a young single mother, disillusioned with her marriage and her husband. It's very believable, and I really felt her frustration throughout. My heart sank at some of the tragedies she had to endure, and I cheered inwardly at some of the victories that she won.
The Usurper was also very good. It's about an ailing old man who's been taken in by a much younger women, who loves him and whom he falls in love with. It's the story of their relationship together, and the trials that it faces.
Definitely a great couple of stories, well worth the read. Karin Cox's writing style is... well, not quite unparallelled, but very pleasant indeed!
Buy Cage Life from Amazon.
Five Rows Back: A Short Story by Dan Kolbet
I really enjoyed this little story of a girl who suffers from (presumably) OCD. She is obsessed with, and consequently stalks, a man on a bus, and everything she does has to be in a number divisible by five.
Why she's stalking the man is surprising, and the ending is very good. This is a well written book that really gave me pause and made me think.
Get Five Rows Back free at Smashwords.
The Visitation by Jo Robinson
A pretty cool story, with lots of food for thought. Is humanity really inherently evil, and do we deserve to be wiped off the face of the earth for the atrocities we've caused? Maybe, but there are two sides to every story.
It was good to read a South African author again, and I could almost hear her speaking to me in a dialect, and with an accent, that I can identify with.
Buy The Visitation from Amazon.
The Harpers by L.L. Watkin
It didn't take me too long to get into this intriguing short story. Two brothers, sharing the same mother but different fathers, live together under one roof. The eldest has possessed magic for quite some time, but the youngest has only recently discovered his own gift.It's an enthralling read, and quite "different" to the usual fantasy staples. You can finish it in an hour or two, and I recommend you do, if you're a fan of the genre.
Buy The Harpers from Smashwords.
When God Whispers Loudly by Chris M. Hibbard
This is a really inspirational and thought provoking Christian story. It's about an un-named protagonist who's driving home from work today, cursing God for everything that's gone wrong in his life. He has a car accident, and proceeds to learn some very important life lessons.
I enjoyed the story, it had a good plot, and some interesting twists and turns. There were one or two points I didn't really get, but overall it's a good, strong read.
Get When God Whispers Loudly free, at Amazon or Smashwords.
Swords and Scimitars by Cate Rowan
This is a pretty cool little short story. It concerns two brothers, sons of gods, who are horsing around one day when something terrible happens.
One of the brothers winds up going down to Earth, and ruling his country with an iron fist.
It's pretty well written, and a wonderful introduction to the author's fantasy world. If I had any issues with it, it would be that the formatting of the ebook that I read on Scribd leaves a little to be desired. Firstly, there's lots of front-matter to get through, mostly praise for the author and the story, before I even get to read the thing. Secondly, there isn't really a proper table of contents, which I find frustrating when I have to decide when to stop reading for a session.
All in all, I enjoyed it. It's described as romance, which I don't normally enjoy. The thing is, while there are some romantic elements in it, I personally wouldn't put it in that genre.
Buy Swords and Scimitars at Amazon or Smashwords.
Root Canal by Sharon C. Williams
At first glance, this seems like a rather silly concept for a story, but by golly, it works!
This is the story of a tooth inside the mouth of a woman, who doesn't take care of her teeth very well. One day, the tooth begins to ache, and it (it's written in first-person, from the tooth's perspective) hopes against hope that its host will take it to the dentist, and also that it won't need to be taken out and thrown in the trash.
There isn't really much point to the story, and it isn't obvious that it means that people should take care of their teeth, although I gather that was the moral the author was going for. Even so, I really enjoyed it! My only concern is that, with the story being as short as it is, it was kind of annoying to have to wade through 20% of front-matter first, before getting into the story. If the story were longer, I would say move all that stuff to the back, since people read differently on e-readers, and it's not so easy to just skip past it as it would be in print (and also it means people who sample the book get less of the actual story to sample). But with the story this short, I'd say most of it can be dispensed with altogether.
Buy Root Canal from Amazon or Smashwords
Crutch by Alex Rushmer
Conner's parents are very nervous at dinner. It's the eve of Conner's eighteenth birthday, and tonight he must complete a coming of age ceremony that could very easily result in his death. To add a bit of a twist to this story, Conner is disabled, and nobody holds out much hope that he's going to survive the ordeal. The book doesn't explain the exact nature of his disability, only that he walks around on crutches.
It's a pretty good story, very vivid in its descriptions. I'm surprised that it's written by a fifteen year old girl. It does leave some questions unanswered, though.
Buy Crutch from Amazon or Smashwords.
So what do you think? Have you read any of these short stories? Are there any gems that I've missed?
About Graham DownsI'm a self-published fiction author living in South Africa. At the moment, I write short stories, novelettes, and flash fiction collections, in a range of genres. These books are perfect for people who long to read, but don't have the time, because they can be read in short, sharp bursts, like during your lunch break, or while your baby's catching a nap!
To find out more about me, and what I have on over, go take a look at my website, at http://www.grahamdowns.co.za/.
May 17, 2016
Why People Hate Reading (Fiction)
Consider the following meme:
Personally, I think there may be an element of truth to this (that it's a symptom of our culture, not that books are boring wastes of time), but it's also a bit more complicated than that. Let me explain.
I think there are two groups of people who share funny quotes like this. The first group is non-readers, people who either don't read books at all, or perhaps only read non-fiction. These people see quotes like this and laugh at the idiocy of people who read, mocking us as geeks, nerds, outcasts, and general social misfits.
The other group is comprised of readers. People who devour books, both for learning and for pleasure. We see these quotes as a way to mock non-readers for being uncultured, uncivilised, empathy lacking brutes. Or, we pity them because they haven't experienced the true joy of reading.
I think the truth is probably somewhere in between. Yes, the Internet is filled with all the scientifically proven benefits of reading (not the least of which is that it improves empathy), and it's important that we evangelise how awesome it is whenever we can.
But there's another problem, and this is where I think we readers are sometimes at fault as well. People are sometimes of the opinion that the only "real" reading, or the only reading that gives any benefit, is when you read the classics (Like, in fact, To Kill a Mockingbird).
The thing is, some people just aren't going to enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird. Or Lord of the Flies. Or A Tale of Two Cities. Or any of the other well-known classics that are on every "Books to read before you die" list.
What is someone to do, if they're been indoctrinated to believe they should read the classics, but they've tried, and hated every minute? I think a lot of them decide that reading's not for them, and they give up trying.
This is a big problem; a school principal in the UK recently wrote a scathing blog post, saying that reading modern fantasy like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, among others, causes mental illness (he was wrong, of course).
Personally, I hated To Kill a Mockingbird, and didn't get very far into Lord of the Flies, either. A Tale of Two Cities was... okay, but hardly worth the hype. I'm sure there are loads of people like me. The difference is, I found other things to read. Things I really enjoy.
So, fiction lovers, let's stop being snobbish about reading (and while I'm about it, let's stop being snobbish about our preference for paper books over e-books over audio books, too). There are millions - perhaps billions - of books in the world, and I can say with one hundred per cent certainty that there's something for everyone. Why don't you help someone find a book that they will love?
About Graham Downs
I'm a self-published fiction author living in South Africa. At the moment, I write short stories, novelettes, and flash fiction collections, in a range of genres. These books are perfect for people who long to read, but don't have the time, because they can be read in short, sharp bursts, like during your lunch break, or while your baby's catching a nap!
To find out more about me, and what I have on over, go take a look at my website, at http://www.grahamdowns.co.za/.
On the face of it, that's just a funny quote. But when you're done laughing, take a deeper look: are jokes like that a symptom of the culture that we live in, a culture that's rejected reading for pleasure as a boring waste of time? I mean, why read a book when you can watch TV, right?
"Books are useless. I only ever read one book, To Kill a Mockingbird, & it gave me no insight on how to kill mockingbirds!" - Homer Simpson
Personally, I think there may be an element of truth to this (that it's a symptom of our culture, not that books are boring wastes of time), but it's also a bit more complicated than that. Let me explain.
I think there are two groups of people who share funny quotes like this. The first group is non-readers, people who either don't read books at all, or perhaps only read non-fiction. These people see quotes like this and laugh at the idiocy of people who read, mocking us as geeks, nerds, outcasts, and general social misfits.
The other group is comprised of readers. People who devour books, both for learning and for pleasure. We see these quotes as a way to mock non-readers for being uncultured, uncivilised, empathy lacking brutes. Or, we pity them because they haven't experienced the true joy of reading.
I think the truth is probably somewhere in between. Yes, the Internet is filled with all the scientifically proven benefits of reading (not the least of which is that it improves empathy), and it's important that we evangelise how awesome it is whenever we can.
But there's another problem, and this is where I think we readers are sometimes at fault as well. People are sometimes of the opinion that the only "real" reading, or the only reading that gives any benefit, is when you read the classics (Like, in fact, To Kill a Mockingbird).
The thing is, some people just aren't going to enjoy To Kill a Mockingbird. Or Lord of the Flies. Or A Tale of Two Cities. Or any of the other well-known classics that are on every "Books to read before you die" list.
What is someone to do, if they're been indoctrinated to believe they should read the classics, but they've tried, and hated every minute? I think a lot of them decide that reading's not for them, and they give up trying.
This is a big problem; a school principal in the UK recently wrote a scathing blog post, saying that reading modern fantasy like Harry Potter and Game of Thrones, among others, causes mental illness (he was wrong, of course).
Personally, I hated To Kill a Mockingbird, and didn't get very far into Lord of the Flies, either. A Tale of Two Cities was... okay, but hardly worth the hype. I'm sure there are loads of people like me. The difference is, I found other things to read. Things I really enjoy.
So, fiction lovers, let's stop being snobbish about reading (and while I'm about it, let's stop being snobbish about our preference for paper books over e-books over audio books, too). There are millions - perhaps billions - of books in the world, and I can say with one hundred per cent certainty that there's something for everyone. Why don't you help someone find a book that they will love?
About Graham Downs
I'm a self-published fiction author living in South Africa. At the moment, I write short stories, novelettes, and flash fiction collections, in a range of genres. These books are perfect for people who long to read, but don't have the time, because they can be read in short, sharp bursts, like during your lunch break, or while your baby's catching a nap!
To find out more about me, and what I have on over, go take a look at my website, at http://www.grahamdowns.co.za/.
May 10, 2016
Book Review: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
About the BookTime is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who held sway over and age of enforced peace are dead...victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky—a comet the color of blood and flame—six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard’s son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King’s Landing. Robert’s two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.
A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and wartime. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside.
Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors.
Audacious, inventive, brilliantly imagined, A Clash of Kings is a novel of dazzling beauty and boundless enchantment—a tale of pure excitement you will never forget.
My Review (5/5 stars)
I think that one of the things that makes this serious utterly engrossing, is the attention to detail.
The universe is so well fleshed out, and the characters who live in it do so in a completely believable way. For example, with the notable exception of Joffrey, I don't think there are any "bad" guys in this story. There aren't any "good" guys, either. There are just people, with deep and complex motivations and goals, and everything they do or say fits in with those motivations, and their circumstances in the world. If I put myself into any one of their shoes, I cannot say that I'd do anything different.
This book is actually better than A Game of Thrones, in my opinion. There's a lot more action... and a LOT of stuff happens. Unfortunately, I can't tell you very much of it for fear of spoilers, but I will say that many of our favourite characters return, and quite a few very important characters die. Oh, and there be dragons.
Something else that I thought was pretty cool: I read Game of Thrones three months ago, and there were a few minor details I'd forgotten. George R.R. Martin does such a wonderful job of explaining each character's place in the world as we first meet them, that it was a pleasurable experience when the memories of each came flooding back. I'd almost (ALMOST) say that it's not necessary to have read the first book in the series to enjoy the second. But I think you'd miss quite a bit.
Where to Buy
