Sage Nestler's Blog, page 52

Important Notice

Hi Everyone,

I hate that I have to address this in this community, but I need to make something clear.

I was recently attacked by an author who didn’t like my critical review of their novel.  In every review I write I aim to discuss my personal opinion of the novel and what assets the novels hold, as well as what can be improved upon.  When an author asks me to review their book, this is an agreement that is made.  I do not promise glowing reviews, I promise honest ones, and that must be understood.

As many of you, I am the author of three novels myself.  I know that it can be frustrating to receive a review that is not perfect, but it is NEVER okay to attack the reviewer or ask that the review be taken down.  This author accused me of not being knowledgeable in their genre since I didn’t love their novel, and they continually sent me harassing emails with multiple blows about how I am inadequate reviewer.

I love being able to promote indie authors on my blog as well as through my monthly subscription box, Go Indie Now!, but I cannot stand for abuse in this manner.  I do not get paid for the reviews that I leave or for my blog in any manner, and all of my reviews and promoting posts are done on my own time.  I love all of you and work daily to help the indie industry grow, and I just am asking for mutual respect.

Thank you to all of the lovely authors that I have worked with for your kind words, and I love being able to support you and help you get your work out there.  I just wanted to make it clear that my reviews are meant to help authors grow, and I expect mutual respect in this manner.  We are all here to support one another, and attacking one another is not beneficial to either party.  That being said, once my review list is completed I will be taking a much needed break to recoup emotionally.  Thank you for your understanding❤

Much love,

Ashley

FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form

IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

Book Review: Shillelagh Law: and other stories by Joseph Ferguson

Title: Shillelagh Law: and other stories

Author: Joseph Ferguson

Rating: 5/5

Overview:

This eclectic collection of short fiction explores the human condition in all its absurdity, beauty, and heartbreak. Some are simple, uncomplicated tales; others are quirky or filled with symbol and allusion. Some are coming-of-age tales; some funny, some horrific. Still others examine themes of redemption or ruin. Written in a variety of styles and points of view, there are tales for every reader, and hopefully, a reader for every tale.

Review:

Joseph Ferguson is a master of the short story.  I have read many short stories and short story collections, but none of them have stuck with me as much as Ferguson’s writing.

His new short story collection, Shillelagh Law: and other stories, is a mix of many different stories that reflect the human condition and the experiences that we go through as humans.

Something about Ferguson’s writing just has a way with connecting to the reader, and his insights and descriptions demonstrate how flawed we as humans are.  When reading his short stories I felt as though I were reading poetry.

Ferguson’s writing is essential for vacation reading or for someone who likes to read in short bursts.  He reveals his characters and situations in a way that is artistic and reveals insights that are unseen to the eye.  It is clear to me that he is an artist, and I consider him an author who is essential to our current literary world.  His writing is comparable to that of the great classics, such as The Great Gatsby, and I am positive that his works will outlast our time.

FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form

IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

Television Interview with Author Christen Stovall

Hello, Everyone!

I am proud to announce that one of the authors I have been working with for the Go Indie Now! Book Subscription was featured in a television interview last week!  I am in love with her work and she is just the sweetest person.  Check out her interview below, and give her some love!

SPOILER: Her novel “Soulbound” will be one of the books we are featuring in our April 2017 box!

See Video Here

Much love,

Ashley

FOR BOOK REVIEW REQUESTS FILL OUT FORM: Book Review Request Form

IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

Smoke Sky Sneak Peek – Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

 

Nothing ever happens the way you expect it to. Even the most detailed plans wind up spiraling to oblivion’s bowels if you forget that one, minor, impossible-to-see detail.

Then again, this was the first job I’d actually planned to the letter. I’m more of a wing-it-as-she-runs thief. Hasn’t always worked out for me in the past, and neither had this.

Face it, Gemma. You just have terrible luck.

“I know you’re here, girl,” the marauder below me growled, silencing my internal voice. “Come out now, and I won’t be too hard on you.” His boots creaked against the wooden floorboards as he stalked through the attic, glancing at the stacks of dusty crates and wondering which I was hidden behind. “Might even have a little party if you play nice.”

Since he wasn’t looking up, he couldn’t see that I was perched on the rafters in the corner of the shadowy attic. I rolled my eyes and shook my head, pushing chin-length, sable hair away from my face. The world had fallen apart in the most abysmal way, but pirate men still thought with their cocks. If there was a decent man left alive in Westraven, I doubted I’d ever meet him. I didn’t run with chivalrous folk. Kind of hard to do when half the people in the city were desperate or dead.

From outside, thunder growled with agitation. The storm had gotten worse in the short amount of time I’d been in the apartment. This wasn’t going to be a fun escape.

“You took something that belongs to me,” the marauder continued, his dark-haired head flicking left and right to scrutinize the crates. “I’m getting it back, and I don’t care if you’re alive or dead when I do it.”

While he rambled on about being stiffed, I looked for my exit. He’d spotted me just as I claimed my prize, but I’d managed to dodge him by being fast and tossing furniture in his path until I got into the attic. I’d climbed up the crates to get to the rafters then stuck to the shadows until he stomped up here to gripe. I hadn’t had the chance to look at my surroundings. As much as I wanted to believe he was too stupid to look up, I wasn’t taking chances.

The murky, rain-drizzled window I’d used to get inside the building was on my right. I could use it again to slip out, climb up, and run across the roofs of the collapsed apartments, but this building was old and uncared for. The window’s hinges would creak. The marauder would hear me and holler his heart out. He would be the death of me.

Not because I thought he would hurt me––I was much too fast––but because other things would hear him.

Other, savage, inhuman things.

A chill crept up my spine at the thought of the Hellions, but I needed to focus on my situation now–– escaping before the marauder shot me. Or worse.

I reached for the window. My legs burned and I grimaced from the way I crouched, stretching my arm as farther than it should have gone, balancing on the balls of my feet, hoping I wouldn’t slip or be seen. My fingertips scraped the edge of the window frame. The window was still unlatched, but from the angle I was stretching at, it was too heavy to push open. I had to move closer.

Figures.

Holding my breath, I edged along the beam, glancing down at the marauder. He stopped cursing and spun in agitated circles. He was right underneath me. Now that I was closing in on the window, my shadow would fall over him and catch his attention. But I had no choice. I couldn’t stay here.

Casting caution aside, I nestled onto the thin window ledge and shoved my palms against the icy glass, pushing with all my weight. The window resisted, but I kept pushing until finally the window nudged outward with a lurch and a screech. Wind and rain lashed into the opened crevice. Lightning illuminated the sky in a blinding flash and thunder roared its rage. I cringed and turned my head away.

My eyes locked onto the marauder’s.

He stared up at me, shocked to see me lurking over his head. I gave him a nervous smile and a wave. A scowl twisted on his ruddy face as he reached for the gun on his belt. I kicked the window with the flat of my foot, flipping it outward and fully opening the attic to the storm. I got on my hands and knees and scrambled out. I glanced over my head, but the distance to the roof was higher than I thought. Grabbing it would leave my chest and belly exposed to a bullet.

As if in mockery, a gunshot rang out behind me, and splinters of wood batted my ribs and arms.

Nope. Climbing wasn’t going to work.

Rain slashed against my face, propelled by the icy wind. I swung my legs out of the window, and jumped from the attic.

The fall wasn’t far, but it was rough. My boots struck a towering landslide of rubble ten feet down, which I used at the start of the job to climb up the apartment earlier. I landed in a crouch and felt broken concrete dig into my palms and bite at my knees. The rain soaked through the leather of my jacket, vest, work pants, and boots. The slim rectangular pendant around my neck slipped from under my shirt, and I quickly shoved it back, concealing it. Rain drenched me immediately, plastering my dark brown hair to my cheeks. I lurched to my feet and scrambled down the rubble. I blinked rapidly, blinking rainwater from my eyes. When I neared the street at the bottom of the landslide, I risked a glance over my shoulder.

The marauder must not have climbed to the rafters, because I couldn’t see him in the window. He would have to trudge all the way back down the three- story apartment as fast as he could if he hoped to catch me. While I didn’t think he would give up the chase, he wasn’t my major concern.

I looked up.

A bloated shadow lingered in the sky, concealed by dark rolling clouds until another bolt of lightning ripped through them, electrifying the ship that owned Westraven’s sky, ordered the destruction of all of Aon’s country provinces, and kept us all living under its crushing thumb.

The Behemoth.

The airship was a monstrous melding of two separate pieces. The top half was a man-o’-war with four gun-ports lined the sides, each heavy cannon pointed at the city’s streets as a warning. Tall masts with black sails whipped back and forth in the storm’s wind, shaking like three angry fists. Both ends of the ship were spiked and curved like a demon’s horns. More spikes stuck out from the port and starboard’s iron plated sides, making the ship look like a flattened sea urchin. The exhaust port over the rudder spewed thick black smoke that slithered and disappeared into the thunderclouds like inky poison.

Chained below the belly of the top ship was the second half, which mirrored the design of the upper portion of the ship and served as a docking port for the  raiding skiffs the Hellions used to capture their food.

To capture us.

I didn’t see any of the skiffs leave the lower half of the ship, but I wouldn’t discount them from coming down in the torrential downpour. Despite their superb and frightening night vision, the Hellions had difficulty seeing anything in fog or rainstorms. Didn’t mean it was safe, however. When Hellions were hungry, they hunted. Rain only extended their chase.

I finally made it to the street, my boots splashing into a puddle and sending a burst of water over my calves. The rainy season in Westraven was merciless, lasting for days, even weeks at a time. I had to get off the streets before the water made running impossible.

I sprinted forward, thunder barking over my head. The pitch black clouds seemed to create shadows over the city. If it weren’t for the lightning and reflective white paint on the crumbling buildings of the market district, I wouldn’t have been able to see at all.

Just as I reached the city streets, a sharp crack of thunder echoed behind me. I jumped and noticed dust spurting out from the wall on my left. Realizing that thunder hadn’t come from the sky at all, I threw another glance over my shoulder.

The marauder had made it outside of the apartment and was hot on my heels. A flintlock pistol was raised and pointed at my back. I couldn’t see his face clearly in the dark night rain, but I imagined his expression was one of pure rage. Now that he was chasing me, I recalled how bulky he was. Over his head, I noticed something moving quickly under the Behemoth. My heart skipped a beat.

No, I thought. No, no!

Lightning flared through the sky and illuminated the two Hellion raiding skiffs emerging from the bottom of the massive warship. Though I couldn’t see the details from where I stood, I knew exactly what they looked like. Scorched metal boats with spear-like masts and ink black sails. Sterns that spilled smoke like blood from a wound. Conical figureheads used to stab unlucky victims and carry them to a hell I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Both skiffs turned in our direction, as if that split second of light from the earlier pistol shot was all they needed to see where their prey was.

The marauder didn’t notice the real threat sailing behind him, and he wouldn’t hear my warning over the storm. He wouldn’t listen to me at all after I stole from him. I had was to get away from both of them.

I whirled around and pumped my legs as fast as I could, fighting the burning pains shooting through them. I squinted to see through the sheets of rain to figure out where I was. I knew downtown Westraven like the back of my hand, but that didn’t mean much when I couldn’t see a damn thing.

Hide, my survival instinct shouted at me. I have to hide.

I spun around another corner and scanning the shops and collapsed buildings for a place to conceal––

A gust of wind shifted the hair on the right side of my face. I could almost feel the bullet cutting through the dark brown strands. My heart skidded through my chest and I halted involuntarily, hysteria overtaking reason.

Move move move, I screamed at myself.

I did, but I wasn’t fast enough.

A heavy weight slammed into my back and pitched me forward. I landed hard on my chest, the wind crushed from my lungs and my chin scraping along wet, unforgiving gravel. A hand fisted my hair and pulled, straining my neck painfully. I growled and threw my elbow back, catching a body in the ribs. He grunted and I hit him again. The second strike was harder, enough to get him off me. Soon as I felt him stumble, I pushed forward and rolled violently. The spin propelled my legs, and the heel of my boot caught my attacker’s chin with a brutal crack.

He cursed in pain while I got to my feet and snapped another kick to his head. I lunged forward and grabbed the pistol, stealing his chance to shoot me in the back.

Lightning ripped apart the sky again. Thunder exploded in the air and rattled me to the bone. I looked up, fear knotting in my chest when I saw the Hellion skiffs lower to the ground just fifty feet away.

During the day, the Hellions were dressed head-to-toe in a black military jumpsuits and a concealing black helmets with bulbous eyes. Covering the mouthpiece was thick, pointed needle. They were sick mockeries of the once famous Sky Guard military uniforms. But at night, they were natural hunters at their prime. They didn’t need disguises or needle-point masks. Not when they had razor claws and sharp fangs to rend flesh from bone.

Four Hellions leaped from the skiffs even before they landed. They sprinted in my direction, and I panicked. My gut reaction was to run. Save myself, the way I had so many times before. But the man on the ground, the one I’d kicked and stolen from––twice––was lying there, half unconscious. Did he hear the howls of the monsters closing in on him? Did he have any idea how easy he would be to kill?

Was there anything I could do?

No, my gut told me. You know there isn’t, Gemma. You can’t do anything. It’s too late.

But… I had to try, didn’t I?

My warring morals and survival instinct cost him. The Hellions didn’t stop to think about the pain the man was in. They didn’t care that I wanted to do something right, to help him even when I knew he wanted to kill me.

They just saw food, and their bellies were never full.

I raised the pistol I’d stolen and pointed it at one of the Hellions. I squeezed the trigger––

Click.

There were no bullets inside. That was why he’d tackled me.

The Hellions screeched and closed in, just twenty feet from the marauder. I couldn’t save him.

He groaned and my eyes burned. Breath caught in my throat as I turned and ran.

My mind’s eye filled in the details. Hooked claws digging into his body and burying deep into his flesh. Fanged mouths lunging down and biting into exposed skin to drink the hot blood beneath. Even with the thunder, I heard the marauder’s agonized screams as though he were standing right beside me. The sound pushed me harder, driving me through the market district.

The screams of the Hellions spiked fear into my heart. I weaved around another corner, my shoulder skidding along the harsh concrete of a half collapsed building. As I spun, I spotted two Hellions ripping into the fallen marauder, and another two coming after on me. I had to get out of sight, now.

I raced deeper into the downtown district to the judicial offices. I couldn’t tell one landmark from the other thanks to the unyielding rain, but instinct drove me until I reached Regency Square.

I banked a hard left, racing for the decrepit library that sat beside the Westraven Trade Board Office and the Provincial Court of Westraven. My trusty escape route.

I chanced another look over my shoulder. The Hellions were still pursuing me, but I had outrun them for now. I had to trust that the rain would continue to hinder their vision for a little while longer, and that they wouldn’t be able to hear my feet sloshing through the ankle-deep water over their own stomps.

Reaching the library, I discarded the pistol, grabbed the door and shouldered my way in. Pain radiated up my arm, but adrenaline quickly concealed it. I turned and slammed the door shut, threw the lock, and backed up. I flicked my gaze back and forth, up and down, looking for another place to hide. There were dozens of collapsed and shattered bookshelves lying on the ground, surrounded by hardcovers stripped of their pages. Overturned tables and chairs were missing their legs, probably taken by survivors for rebuilding. Rain spat through the broken windows on the second level as wind howled into the building––

Thud!

I jumped as something slammed into the wooden door. So much for confusion.

Thud! Thud!

Both Hellions were throwing their weight onto the door now. I searched the library frantically.

One of the shelves had fallen against the ledge of the second balcony. I spotted an open window past it.

My exit.

Thud! Thud! Crack!

The Hellions were turning the door to splinters.

I bolted for the fallen shelf, leaped onto the top, and scrambled up the weakened wood.

Thud! Crack! Crack!

My fingers slipped on the shelf’s siding. Heavy splinters from the door fell onto the marble floor. Rain slicked the wood of the shelf. I slipped and banged my knee on the hard surface. Hellions shrieked and screamed as the door crunched and bent. The balcony was just in reach––

The front door shattered at the same moment my palms gripped the cracked marble banister. I hauled myself up and flipped onto the second landing. I ducked low and scooted away from the balcony toward a wide, broken picture window. Below me, the Hellions screamed their outrage. I couldn’t see them, and I wasn’t going to risk looking down and letting the monsters scouring the library see me. If they had my scent, they weren’t going to stop until they found me.

Having hid in here so many times, I knew there was a ladder outside the window that I could climb down. Survivors used it all the time when they wanted to raid the library for building wood or burning supplies. Holding my breath, I slithered up the wall and swung out of the broken window, back into the storm.

Rain pounded onto me again, the cold pelts of water lashing my drenched clothes and shivering skin. The bars of the metal ladder were freezing, each one biting my palms as I scurried down. I reached the street again and looked up. If the Hellions knew I’d escaped them again, I couldn’t tell. I wasn’t going to wait and see, either. I’d already wasted enough time tonight. All I wanted to do was go home, see if I had any warm clothes, and relax with my employer’s prize.

As I turned and started walking toward the hotel, I reached into the large pocket of my coat and took out the tattered black box containing the item I’d stolen. Inside was an electron-cell, a large battery with positive and negative terminals sticking out from the sides. It wasn’t powered and was safe to hold in the rain, and while it was a dented old model that wouldn’t do much to power anything large, it would be able to fuel something like a small heater or a small set of lights.

I pocketed the electron-cell and chanced another glance to the sky, where the Behemoth lingered.

The marauder’s face shot into my mind, and his screams echoed like ghosts in my ears. Guilt stabbed into me. If the pistol hadn’t been empty, would I have been able to save him? Would he have let me? I should have at least warned him.

Reason overrode my regret.

He wouldn’t have listened to you. He’d have attacked you. Brutalized you. Fletcher would be furious if you failed the job. You protected yourself. Dead men don’t need power.

I was good at lying to people. I was even better at lying to myself.

 

 

To survive in a horrific world overseen by bloodthirsty monsters, young thief Gemma will do whatever she must to see another day. Even though that means working for a damaged man convinced to make her a permanent member of this thuggish family.

 

So when her employer tells her that he’ll release her from his clutches, Gemma is obviously skeptical. Especially since the job is easy enough– recruit the two marauders that the gang has been spying on to take her place.

 

But as Gemma lies to Nash and Sawyer, she commits the greatest mistake a spy can make–– she begins to see them as friends, and perhaps more. Soon, she will have to choose: Sacrifice two strangers to ensure freedom from a brutal future, or risk her life to save them…

 

Set two years before the events of CRIMSON SKY, this prequel novella tells the story of how Gemma met Nash and Sawyer, and what prompted her to chose their safety over her own. While best enjoyed before reading CRIMSON SKY, this bonus story can be read at any time or enjoyed as a standalone.

 

 

Buy it here:

 

Kindle | Kobo | Smashwords | Goodreads

Smoke Sky Blog Tour

SMOKE SKY is the second prequel novella preceding the adventurous steampunk horror tale CRIMSON SKY and centering around a young thief named Gemma––not yet a member of the Dauntless Wanderer crew––as she was forced to choose between freedom from a twisted family, and forsaking the only people who have ever shown her kindness…

To survive in a horrific world overseen by bloodthirsty monsters, young thief Gemma will do whatever she must to see another day. Even though that means working for a damaged man convinced to make her a permanent member of this thuggish family.

 

So when her employer tells her that he’ll release her from his clutches, Gemma is obviously skeptical. Especially since the job is easy enough– recruit the two marauders that the gang has been spying on to take her place.

 

But as Gemma lies to Nash and Sawyer, she commits the greatest mistake a spy can make–– she begins to see them as friends, and perhaps more. Soon, she will have to choose: Sacrifice two strangers to ensure freedom from a brutal future, or risk her life to save them…

 

Set two years before the events of CRIMSON SKY, this prequel novella tells the story of how Gemma met Nash and Sawyer, and what prompted her to chose their safety over her own. While best enjoyed before reading CRIMSON SKY, this bonus story can be read at any time or enjoyed as a standalone.

Buy it here:

 

Kindle | Kobo | Smashwords | Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

SMOKE SKY is set two years before the first novel in the DARK SKY series, CRIMSON SKY, and takes place shortly after Captain Sawyer Kendric and his first mate Nash meet AMBER SKY. The story is told from the perspective of Gemma, the future master gunner and rigger of the Dauntless Wanderer. Before she became a marauder, Gemma was a thief working for a sadistic and morally damaged man named Fletcher, who formed a “family” with three young men named Boyd, Tyler, and Morris. She longs to escape their horrible plans for her future, but to do so, she must take one last job: Trade her life for the lives of two young marauders named Sawyer and Nash to take her place in their family. But when Gemma integrates with them, she realizes they are good men and develops strong feelings for them, especially charming, kind-hearted Nash. Soon she is torn between sacrificing her freedom, and her morals and sanity.

 

Of all the novellas I’ve written to date, Smoke Sky is one of my favorites. Gemma and Nash have a relationship that I love––they are two characters who could hardly be more opposite, but who fit together so beautifully––and I couldn’t let their story go untold. This is likely the most romantic story in the Dark Sky series and features one of my favorite romance moments, so I hope a lot of readers enjoy it.

 

Gemma’s past is hinted at in Crimson Sky when Gemma has a conversation with the main series heroine, Claire Abernathy, but at the time, it was something I just threw in there for context. I didn’t really plan anything beyond moving Crimson Sky forward. But when I decided I wanted to do some novellas, I thought it would only make sense to go back to that moment when she was explaining pieces of her past to Claire, and extrapolate from there.

 

I started Smoke Sky shortly after completing its predecessor, Amber Sky. Because it’s so short, less than 40,000 words, I decided to write it as an ebook only, though it will be included in the Dark Sky Box Set releasing in April 2017. The whole story was a lot of fun to write, but I have to say that my favorite part was building the relationship between Gemma and Nash. Their personalities are so contrasting––she’s brash and fiery, he’s gentler and relaxed––that it was fun just to have them flirt and grow close to each other, while Sawyer grudgingly accepts that he enjoys the challenge of her company, as she’s not afraid to challenge him.

 

After hard weeks of writing, editing, and gushing over the cover created by Deranged Doctor Design, I worked on setting up my own promotions with Google Forms and contacted book reviewers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers who have helped me with previous releases. They are all fantastic, friendly, wonderful people, and if they’re taking the time to read this, know that I appreciate all your hard work more than I can say.

 

Though I’m very happy to have the release of Smoke Sky––one of my favorite written novellas to date––out in the world, I’m eager to get back to working on the final novel in the Dark Sky series, Obsidian Sky. I love hearing feedback from everyone I work with (I really couldn’t have done it without you) and everyone I share my books with, and would love to hear thoughts on this novella and upcoming work.

 

 

 

Q & A: Amy Braun and Smoke Sky– MINOR SPOILERS BELOW.

 

 

 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Smoke Sky and two prequel novellas?

 

A: Gemma is one of those characters who you know has a story to tell as soon as you meet her in Crimson Sky. What pushed her to become a thief? Why is she so fiercely attached to Nash? Is it just her personality that causes her to clash with Sawyer more often than not? I love Gemma––she’s exactly the kind of heroine I like reading about and after mentioning a snippet of her story in Crimson Sky, I knew I had to find out more about her. As with Nash, I wanted to tell her story and learn more about the world of Westraven and Aon. I just had no idea that there would be so much to tell!

 

Q: Why did you choose to tell the story from Gemma’s perspective?

 

A: For a thief, Gemma is a noticeable character. She’s not quiet and not afraid to speak her mind to anyone challenging her––including her captain. Since I love writing characters who snark and question authority as much as they breathe, it was really a no-brainer to tell the story in her own sarcastic, quick-witted words. Plus, delving into the true depth of the emotions she feels for Nash, feelings she never considered she might have, add another layer to her character and give her an almost vulnerable appeal, something Gemma would never let show if she could avoid it.

 

Q: Which was more challenging to write: Amber Sky or Smoke Sky?

 

A: Both of them had their challenges, but if I had to choose, I would say Smoke Sky was harder. There were more settings to construct, a more complex challenge for the characters to overcome, and more world building to do. I also had to answer certain questions about the Dauntless Wanderer and how it was able to be transported to its final location, which was no easy feat. But I also think that because of those challenges the story is stronger. Don’t get me wrong––I love and am very proud of Amber Sky, but there’s more going on in Smoke Sky and that makes it engaging and exciting.

 

Q: Gemma’s relationship with Nash and Sawyer are vastly different. Which did you enjoy writing more?

 

A: While I had a great time pitting Gemma against Sawyer and loved writing their barbs and teasing, I liked writing the moments between Gemma and Nash more. I’m a sucker for sweet romances, and Nash is nothing if not a teddy bear. Considering I wanted to tie in events from Amber Sky with Smoke Sky, I thought their scenes flowed wonderfully. Nash is smitten early on but Gemma is a little more hesitant, and watching her test those barriers between them was amazing. There is one particular scene in the middle of the novella that I’m very proud of and sums up their relationship tenderly and beautifully, so I look forward to hearing feedback from readers and reviewers on it.

 

Q: What can you tell us about the final novel in the Dark Sky series?

 

A: Obsidian Sky will be the last of the last in the Dark Sky books. I’m currently editing it, and it will be slated for release on February 7, 2017, with a cover reveal happening January 2. The story is told from both Sawyer and Claire’s perspectives, will be full of action, and will vastly expand the world by going way beyond the borders of Westraven. I have some surprises and a lot of excitement planned for this final book, and couldn’t be more excited to share it. I’ll be doing a lot of promotions around social media and my website, but newsletter subscribers will get first peeks at the cover and notifications on the big giveaway I’ll be doing. I can’t wait to share it with you all!

 

 

 

Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action. She is the recipient of April Moon Books Editor Award for “author voice, world-building and general bad-assery,” and the One Book Two Standout Award in 2015 for her Cursed trilogy. She has been featured on various author blogs and publishing websites, and is an active member of the Writing GIAM and Weekend Writing Warrior communities. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, and struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction.

Her short stories published by independent houses like Mocha Memoirs Press and April Moon Books, and she has independently published a collection of standalone and series novels including Storm Born, Path of the Horseman, and the Cursed and Dark Sky series. Many of her short stories have been featured in anthologies such as Amok!, Avast, Ye Airships!, and That Hoodoo, Voodoo, That You Do, and Stomping Grounds.

 

More From Amy Braun

 

CURSED

 

DEMON’S DAUGHTER | DARK DIVINITY | DAMNATION’S DOOR | TRILOGY BOX SET

 

DARK SKY

 

CRIMSON SKY | MIDNIGHT SKY | AMBER SKY | ENGINEERED DECEIT (In GHOSTS GEARS AND GRIMOIRES)

 

STANDALONE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS

 

STORM BORN

 

PATH OF THE HORSEMAN

 

NEEDFIRE

 

Social Media Links

 

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Box Review: Charmed Bookshelf – “Enchant” Version

Charmed Bookshelf is a brand new book subscription that sends out New Age books and items to compliment the reading materials.  There are three different subscription types to choose from – the “Enchant” box ($37 + shipping/month), the “Enlighten” box ($37 + shipping/month), or a box that sends everything from the first two boxes ($69 + shipping/month).

Purchase the box here: http://www.charmedbookshelf.com/subscribe/

The “Enchant” box is more centered on Wiccan/Pagan reading material and items, while the “Enlighten” box is more centered on crystals, chakras, yoga, etc. and it is a great plan for those who are just starting to discover New Age subjects.

The box itself arrives in a simple white box with the company’s logo on the front with the shipping label.  I absolutely love the logo, and as soon as I saw this on my doorstep, I couldn’t help but squeal with excitement.

Upon opening, the items were wrapped nicely in grey paper shreds and black tissue paper.  I could tell that the owner put great care into making sure that each item was packaging properly, and that immediately made me fall in love with the box.

The book included in this month’s Enchant box was The Book of Crystal Spells by Ember Grant.  Being a certified crystal healer myself, I was very excited to receive this book.  It is a book that I don’t already have, and I was excited to learn that it gives you different spells to use with different stones, and that it even helps you to enchant your stone jewelry for different purposes.  There were specific spells for different necessities, such as finding success or love, and I found that it was great for beginners as well as seasoned professionals.

That being said, the extra items included were of course…crystals!

The first crystal included was a full size Selenite tower.  This stone is necessary for any crystal magick, and I was happy to see it included in the box.  It is very high quality, and these towers can generally be pricey when bought separately.  That made buying this box worth it on its own.

The next stones include were 5 quarts crystals points – which are very important to go along with the book included because there is an entire section on the different meanings of crystal points.  While reading that section I was able to identify the types of crystal points that I received, and it was nice to discover what their meanings were.

The rest of the stones included were a Black Obsidian stone, Moss Agate, Rose Quartz, Red Tiger Eye, and Red Jasper.  These stones are simple tumbled stones, and they are just beautiful.  They are commonly used in the book for the different spells, and I think they are a great starter stone set.

Overall, I could tell that this box was meticulously crafted, and I liked being able to receive a book with a lot of the tools needed to use it.  If you are looking to expand your New Age book collection, then this box is the way to go!

October Go Indie Now! Excellence in Indie Literature Award

Hello Everyone!

I am happy to share with you a beautiful author who won our October Go Indie Now! Excellence in Literature Award!

E. Mellyberry is a gorgeous romance author.  Her writing is bittersweet and real, and you just fall into her stories and fall in love with her characters.  She won our literary award for her novel My Lea, and it is highly recommended.

From Our Awards Website

E. Mellyberry won the October 2016 award for her romance novel, My Lea.  Her writing is bittersweet and beautiful, and leaves the reader changed once they are done reading her work.

SCORECARD

Editing: 4/5
Originality: 5/5
Plot Structure: 5/5
Character Structure: 5/5
Message: 5/5

When Lea Amelia landed her feet in San Francisco for her overseas study, her idea of freedom was simple, like eating junk food ten times a day, sitting in front of the TV in her PJs, or going out late with her friends without the need to check in with her mother constantly. Then she met Andrew Jaya, her brothers’ best friend. A twenty-two-year-old guy whose physical appearance looked like he was crafted straight from God’s heavenly hands, but possessed a past as bleak as if it was drawn by Evil himself. A conflicted guy who wore sadness like nobody’s business beneath his mask, a perfect-looking mask she slowly peeled away. He was also the guy who hurt her. Suddenly, everything about her was no longer simple. Andrew Jaya had convinced himself that not feeling was good for him. He’d been doing it splendidly for almost his entire life. But that was before his best friend’s sister stepped into his life and ruined it. After weeks of knowing Lea, all of those warm and wonderful feelings he’d long ago denied to himself started to reappear. Problem was, the brighter the light, the bigger the shadows that came with it. His traumatic past refused to let him go. When the unthinkable happened, the easiest thing to do was to run. But life often proves that the easiest way is usually the hardest.

Author Interview

What is the first memory you have of writing?

I remember I won my first writing competition when I was eleven. Writing and reading have always been an integral part of me growing up, I honestly can’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing them. I was the nerd girl who carried books in her bag no matter where I went.

Which authors inspire you, and why?

When I was a kid, it was Enid Blyton with her Famous Five series. I love how she was able to write heart-racing adventures, and at the same time mesmerized me with the sibling love among her characters. I always felt like I belonged to Julian, Dick, Anne, George, and Timmy’s family.

I love J.K. Rowling (who hasn’t?) and J.R.R. Tolkien. Fantasy is a genre I love, love, love. It’s also the toughest genre to write. Anyone who could write an epic High Fantasy deserves my undying love and admiration.

As I took my writing more seriously, I became more aware of the existence of indie authors and their books. One who stands out is Colleen Hoover. She’s such an amazing person and author. She inspires me—and millions other young writers—with her magical and amazing writing journey. She makes me believe in my dream. She makes me believe I can do more with my stories, that I shouldn’t be afraid to try. She is the true Cinderella in our book universe.

What is your favorite genre to read, and why?

It’s always between Fantasy and Contemporary. I connect the best with these two. But to be frank, I read literally everything, as long as it’s not horror and Sci-Fi.

What is your favorite genre to write, and why?

It has to be Contemporary. I love capturing emotions and writing about them. Presenting conflict is my addiction, and I think I work best when I’m not distracted by, let’s say, the world building and magical elements in Fantasy or Paranormal genres. Every fiction I write carries the truth of what we have in real life. My characters and their personalities are compilations of many real people—family, friends, acquaintances, friends of friends, strangers—I met in my life. Writing can be very emotional for me because I see the real faces behind my characters.

What are you currently working on?

I’m now in the final editing stage of my Young Adult manuscript, FLY. It’s a diverse, interracial love story about a geeky Hong Kong boy and an Indian teen model. Hopefully I can share it with the world before summer 2017.

Author Bio

Melly has been writing stories for as long as she can remember, but not until 2011 did she publish her works. She writes children’s books under the name mellyberry, and novels under e. mellyberry. She used to work in school and is very passionate about education.

Melly was born in Indonesia and grew up in a multi-language environment. When she talked, she could accidentally string words from different languages into one sentence. When she does that, simply reminds her to speak properly.

Her ideal vacation always involves a beach; usually it’s the Nusa Dua beach, Bali. She spent a few years in Singapore and USA to complete her Master degree. It was during that time she’d fallen madly in love with San Francisco and the Bay Area.

How to connect with E. Mellyberry

Facebook    Twitter    Instagram    Blog    Goodreads    Website

In May, one of our authors will win the yearly title of “Standout Author of 2016”.  To vote for your favorite author, simply like their post on this website.  The author with the most likes will win the award.

Go Indie Now! Black Friday Sale

Hi, Everyone!

Today begins our biggest sale of the year at Go Indie Now! Since Saturday is Small Business Saturday, we are also extending our sale throughout the weekend.

Order Here

For new subscribers, we are offering free shipping on ANY plan, worldwide! Use coupon”FREESHIPPING” at checkout.

We are also giving current subscribers an exclusive item in their next box that is only available through us, on top of 10% off of their next renewal if they don’t already have a coupon on their account.

All of our past boxes are also 15% off when using the coupon “SMALLBUSINESS”

 

Thank you all for supporting my small business, and helping indie authors be seen through our box!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Much love,

Ashley Nestler

CEO of Go Indie Now

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Title: Daughters Unto Devils

Author: Amy Lukavics

Review: 3/5

SPOILER WARNING

Synopsis:

God bless the little children 

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner’s family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries.

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn’t right on the prairie. She’s heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can’t be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

Review:

“Still, the question awakened memories of last winter unmercifully, the ones that were too painful to bear, the ones that ended up causing all sixteen years of my life to slip away from me like water through open fingers.”

I had such high hopes for the novel.  The fact that it had been marketed as “Stephen King writing Little House on the Prairie” immediately grabbed me, but upon finishing the first chapter I knew that this book was going to drag on and on – and it did.

The main character, Amanda Verner, is a sixteen year old pioneer who has been sleeping with another young man and becomes pregnant.  The young man, of course, refuses to ever see her again, but she and her family move anyway, so it didn’t really matter.  She never tells her parents about the pregnancy, and instead prays for a miscarriage.  Not surprisingly, she does suffer a miscarriage and begins to wonder about the evil inside of her.

Throughout the novel we suffer through Amanda’s repetitive thoughts and fears that she might be evil – which is already blatantly obvious.  We also have to listen to her complain about how much she hates her baby sister who is blind and deaf, and how those thoughts are connected to the evil within her as well.

I expected this book to be much scarier, but it failed me.  The first 2/3 of the novel was a chore to read due to the dullness of the main character and her same thoughts being expressed over and over.  And it wasn’t until the very end of the novel that the horror actually began to happen – and it happened too fast, and all at once.

Within the last few chapters, Amanda’s baby sister gets attacked by ants, and her father takes the baby away to the doctor to see if she can be saved.  During that same period of time, Amanda’s mother becomes possessed and immediately starts spouting nasty things at Amanda.  During this time we just have to follow Amanda and her sister walking through the woods to go find their father and sister, but they eventually find out that their father and sister both died, and that the doctor sacrificed himself as well.

The ending after this is ridiculously rushed.  It is as though the author realized that she didn’t add in any horror elements and throws in as many elements as she can before the book abruptly ends as though she couldn’t wait to get the novel done and published.  I was extremely disappointed since the last chapter or so of this book are the only parts that are worth reading, and this novel would have fared much better if the author had focused more on the elements that she threw in at the end of the story.

I do not recommend this novel to horror fans.  It might be a good novel for those trying to get into horror, but I do not think that it represents the genre well.  In my opinion, it is an incomplete novel.

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IF BOOK REQUEST WEBSITE IS DOWN EMAIL: peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

Behind Broken Glass Walls Teaser #3

Hello Everyone!

It is now time to release the third teaser for my upcoming novel “Behind Broken Glass Walls”, releasing January 1.  It is going to be a great way to start off the new year, and I am excited to share it with you all.  It is the most important novel that I have written, and it does contain trigger warnings due to sexual assault and gun violence.  However, I believe that it can change the way that we think about bullying and abuse.

Synopsis

You never know how strong you are until you are forced into a situation that tests every ounce of strength that you have. This is what one mother learns as she finds out that the person who committed a shooting at her daughter’s high school was indeed her daughter. Her feelings are a mix of every emotion, but what bothers her the most is that even though she knows that her daughter took the lives of many others, she can’t help but love her as much as she ever did. It is this love that she has for her daughter that makes her feel at fault.

Learn what it means to love a child when everyone else sees her as a murderer, and experience what it feels like to love someone who you no longer understand.

What are the limits on your love?

Mark To-Read on Goodreads

If you would like an advanced copy of this novel to review, please email me at peachykeenreviews@gmail.com

Much love,

Ashley