Timothy C. Ward's Blog, page 18

Book Review: THE DARK KNIGHT by Nick Cole (Wyrd #2)

This zombie apocalypse tale is one of the top choices in its field. Check out WYRD #1: The Red King FREE on Kindle. Nick Cole’s zombie apocalypse fills the need for zombie fans who want more than just zombies. Apocalypse Weird: The Dark Knight continues the story of Frank, an alcoholic who is trying to make up for the mistakes he made and win back his small community of survivors. I enjoyed rooting for him because we can all relate to the feeling of failure and how some refuse to look past th...

Chatting productivity, books, and podcasting on SF Signal

Patrick Hester, SF author and host of the Hugo Award Winning podcast, SF Signal Podcast, invited me onto his show while hanging out at WorldCon in Spokane, Washington last August. We discussed how my life has changed since becoming a father two years ago, how we adapt to life changes while keeping our dream jobs in our sights, and other bookish topics. I answered questions about my Mad Max style thriller, Scavenger: Evolution and what it meant to write a story in someone else’s world.

Enjoy t...

Audiobook Release – Scavenger: Evolution by Timothy C. Ward

The incredible vocal talents of David Robison are now immortalized inmy sand divers in the apocalypse story of Scavenger: Evolution. There is currently a sale on Audible for $9.99, or one credit for subscribers, or free for new members, and if you sign up for the free trial, Dave and I get a nice bonus.

If you prefer a signed paperback, I’m offering that at my online store for a Christmas sale of $9.99. The Kindle version is also at a low price of $2.99.

I’m wrapping up the sequel’s first dra...

Evolved Publishing’s Big Holiday Sale – 30 books free or $0.99

Evolved Publishing has a large list of titles listed at $0.99 or free for the next few days. I joined Evolved Publishing recently in a two book deal because they put out great stories in all kinds of genres. I’ll highlight a couple that I’ve read and recommend below. As my gift to my blog readers, I’ll gift up to five ebook copies of these two to the first five commentors requesting each book, and one of any of the titles on Evolved Publishing’s Holiday Sale. Just comment below or on the Evol...

The Time Traveler’s Almanac – “Young Zaphod Plays it Safe” by Douglas Adams

Welcome to our Thursdayreviews of stories in The Time Traveler’s Almanac , edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer. Visit my TTTA main page for all the reviews.

Dec. 3 – Douglas Adams/ Young Zaphod Plays it Safe – 158

3/5 I read this one with a few weeks in between parts, so my what the… response at the end could be that I missed something. Some funny parts. Some tedious parts. No idea what the time travel aspect is. As excited as I was to have this inspire me to read more Adams, it did the opposite....

Mountain Man Omnibus (Books 1-3) by Keith C. Blackmore (Narr. R.C. Bray)

An new outstanding zombie series, especially for audiobook lovers. I hadn’t heard of Keith C. Blackmore, but I have been a fan, and still am, of the narrator, R.C. Bray and Podium Publishing. I love bunker stories in the zombie apocalypse genre, and this is one of the best I’ve read. Likable, flawed characters with a sweet man cave that isn’t as invulnerable as it seems. New twists with each book, and after binge listening to this omnibus, I’m glad to see the fourth book is available and is n...

The Time Traveler’s Almanac – “The Time Machine” (Excerpt) by H.G. Wells

Welcome to our Thursdayreviews of stories in The Time Traveler’s Almanac , edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer. Visit my TTTA main page for all the reviews.

Nov. 26 – H.G. Wells/The Time Machine – page 154

About the author: H.G. Wells was an English writer best known for his science fiction books. “The Chronic Argonauts” is considered the short story that served as the initial inspiration for Wells’s classic novella The Time Machine, which is excerpted here. Although it is popularly believed that...

“In Search of Pain” – Michael R. Fletcher on the Benefits of a Tough Edit

I recently discovered the amazing novel, Beyond Redemption by Michael R. Fletcher. This guy is super talented–here’s my 5 star review of BR–and when he recently commented on Facebook about how we shouldn’t hire editors looking for little more than a grammar check, I asked him to expound. Here is his reply (with some adult language, FYI):

IN SEARCH OF PAIN

First, here is that post in its entirely.

Just gonna plant a thought for anyone thinking of hiring an editor and self-publishing…

If your...

The Time Traveler’s Almanac – “Himself in Anachron” by Cordwainer Smith

Welcome to our Thursdayreviews of stories in The Time Traveler’s Almanac , edited by Ann & Jeff Vandermeer. Visit my TTTA main page for all the reviews.

Nov. 19 – Cordwainer Smith/ Himself in Anachron – page 148

About the author: Cordwainer Smith was the pseudonym of American writer Paul M.A. Linebarger. As a child, he traveled and lived overseas in Europe and also the Far East with his family and was fluent in several languages. His first professional science fiction story, “Scanners Live in...

Book Review – BEYOND REDEMPTION by Michael R. Fletcher

When “Wow” is a reaction multiple times per page, on more pages than not, you have an incredible read in your hands. Ingenious insight into the human mind of those who feel the pull of failure and the hopelessness of redemption. Michael R. Fletcher‘s worldbuilding and magic system is vigorously inventive, just as is his intricate unraveling of characters that are society’s most vile or most hoped for. While reading their stories was at times difficult, my most engaged moments were when their...