Mark Noce's Blog, page 6

Book Club for Dark Winds Rising

I had a blast speaking at a book club the other night about my most recent novel, Dark Winds Rising. I’ve been fortunate to speak at several book clubs over the last year for both installments in the Queen Branwen Series, and I look forward to more.
It got me thinking about how special book clubs are. Once many of us have left school and moved on to jobs, families, etc. there often isn’t a venue where we can discuss our books in person with other like-minded readers. I love getting to be part of not just discussing my novels, but other people’s work and interests in a free flowing, open-minded environment.
I guess this is my long winded way of saying ‘thank you’ to all those book clubs out there. Thank you!


You can leave reviews of Dark Winds Rising here at Amazon and Goodreads too!

My San Bruno, My Home

I never thought I’d have to write this. I worked at Google for 4 and a half years, and every day I walked through the YouTube campus. It’s less than a mile from my house, within easy walking distance. It’s across the street from where I buy my groceries, where I grab coffee with friends, and the park where my children play.
I grew up in this area. Like many, I work in the Tech Industry here and it’s where I raise my family. Everyone knows everyone, from parents to kids to teachers to first responders. It’s a nice slice of Americana where good people have a good chance to live the American dream. And I’m proud to call it my home still.
It’s disconcerting to see places that are so familiar to me now broadcast on the local, national, and international news. To hear the helicopters hovering directly over our house. We are fortunate that everyone we know is safe, both those who work there and live nearby. But not everyone was so lucky.
I tell you all this because until yesterday I was relatively silent. Bad things happen on the news all the time, but it’s always somewhere else, not right in your community and in your own neighborhood. Whatever your beliefs or views, I’m not here to try and convince you one way or the other. But this problem is not going away, and it will not get better on its own. If it can happen here, it really can happen anywhere.
Whatever you believe, whatever you do, I merely ask that you do it with love and compassion. Do something and do something now to change this. Simple kindness to the stranger you pass on the street. Joining the peaceful marches to end gun violence. Whatever your cause remember that real, decent people are hurting and that this violence needs to end.
So hold your loved ones close today, and maybe even a few strangers too. God bless.

Authors on the Move

I had a blast this Saturday night at the annual Authors on the Move fundraiser in Sacramento. I had a great time signing books and talking with avid readers, all the while raising money for public libraries. All and all a great evening!
I also got to meet keynote speaker Sasha Abramsky, who is both a lover of books and ideas, as well as an all around great guy. Needless to say, I was losing my voice by the end of the night, but I had a great time getting to meet so many interesting people. I also signed quite a few copies of my latest novel, Dark Winds Rising, and was humbly surprised to find out just how many people had read my work.
It was a great cap to the night to find that between bidding from attendees and other efforts, we raised over $100,000 for charity that evening. Pretty darn cool, if you ask me. This was the second time I'd been invited to speak at Authors on the Move, and hopefully I'll get a chance to come back again.  
 

The Book Tour Continues!

Sorry it’s been a while since I last posted. Whew, it’s been a busy, but good time so far. I just wanted to share my status on my ongoing book tour for Dark Winds Rising, the latest sequel in my Queen Branwen Series via St. Martin’s Press.
I’ve gotten to speak at some great venues so far, the most recent being at the beloved Avid Reader bookshop in Sacramento. We had a great crowd, sold lots of books, and had a really good time during the Q&A session. Thanks a million to everyone who came to listen to my talk and to get their books signed!
I’ve got plenty more upcoming stops on my tour too, including a talk at the annual San Francisco Writer’s Conference, a returning invite to speak at the Authors on the Move Fundraiser in March, and I’ve even been asked to teach a few sessions at the Central Coast Writer’s Conference later this year. All in all, a pretty busy, but pretty fun schedule. I’m looking forward to an invigorating 2018!

Kicking off my DARK WINDS RISING Book Tour!

Dark Winds Rising has been out for just three weeks in the U.S. and the response has been soooooo awesome! My novel will be available internationally next month as well (via Macmillanand St. Martin’s Press). I also really enjoyed speaking at the Burlingame Library this month, courtesy of Books, Inc., where many friends both old and new showed up to have me sign copies of both Between Two Fires and Dark Winds Rising.  A huge thank you to everyone who came to listen to me talk and sign books for my initial book tour kickoff events!
Next month I’ll be speaking in Sacramento, CA. I’ve also been invited back again to speak at the 2018 San Francisco Writer’s Conference and the prestigious Authors on the Move fundraiser event, just to name a few. For my next tour dates, checkout my appearancespage for more info. Hopefully, I’ll get to see a few more of you in person in the months to come!
I hope that you’re having a wonderful holiday season and I wish you all the best in the New Year! Thanks again for helping make the release of Dark Winds Rising such a resounding success!

The Queen Branwen Series continues....

Today’s the Day! DARK WINDS RISING is Released!

My sequel in the Queen Branwen Series comes out today, Dark Winds Rising is available wherever books are sold! It’s my second novel published with St. Martin’s Press and I’m super pumped to see it in print and get to share it with everyone. Checkout Dark Winds Rising here!
It’s been a long journey, and I’d definitely like to thank my publisher, my agent, my awesome CPs, my friends, and family, and all of you! I’m kicking off my in-person book tour this weekend, and I’ve also got some super awesome bloggers posting about my book, such as Rachna, Elizabeth, Laine, and others! You can check out my growing schedule here.

I hope that you enjoy reading Dark Winds Rising as much as I enjoyed writing it! Grab a copy today, thanks!

Dark Winds Rising Comes Out December 5th!

My sequel to the Queen Branwen Series, Dark Winds Rising, comes out with St. Martin’s Press next month! Although you can preorderit now, my novel will be available on December 5th. In addition, I’m kicking off my book tour on December 10th!
I’m super excited be to sharing the next installment in Branwen’s journey. Below is a brief blurb about my new novel. And for those of you in California, I hope to see you on my tour, thanks!
Queen Branwen finds her world once again turned upside down as Pictish raiders harry the shores of her kingdom. Rallying her people once more, she must face her most dangerous foe yet, the Queen of the Picts. Ruthless and cunning, the Pictish Queen turns the Welsh against each other in a bloody civil war, and Branwen must attempt to stop her before her country threatens to tear itself apart. All the while Branwen is heavy with child, and finds her young son’s footsteps dogged by a mysterious assassin. Branwen must somehow defeat the Picts and save her people before the Pictish Queen and a mysterious assassin threaten to destroy their lives from the inside out.

Dragonella

Today I'd like to share some info on the release of a new book by friend and fellow blogger Elizabeth Varadan! Elizabeth's new picture book, Dragonella, for ages 7 and under, has just been released in paperback and e-book formats via Belanger Books. Below is a brief blurb about the book.
Dragonella is the only dragon at her new school. Other students - trolls, griffins and ogres - are frightened when she breathes fire. The teacher isn't happy when Dragonella's laughter melts the filing cabinet. But when Dragonella's flames save the day during the class party on Legend Day, the teacher and other students learn they shouldn't be quick to judge someone who is different.
You can learn more at these following links:
- Amazon, paperback and ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Dragonella-Elizabeth-Varadan/dp/1978037821- Elizabeth's Blogshttp://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com http://victorianscribbles.blogspot.com/- Twitter and FBFB Author Page:  https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethVaradanAuthorTwitter:  https://twitter.com/4thWishVaradan
Links to Elizabeth's MG mystery:  Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearlshttps://www.amazon.com/Imogene-The-Case-Missing-Pearls/dp/1780927584
Hope you enjoy it! :)

Guest Post from Nick Wilford, Speculative Author

Take it away Nick...

Hi Mark! Thanks for offering to help out with my blog tour today. I’d like to share an excerpt with your readers, which shows the moment when my protagonist Wellesbury joins forces with his “partner in crime”, Ezmerelda.*Wellesbury found it hard to concentrate at school that day. It all felt more and more pointless; he knew everything and would get top marks anyway. He found himself examining every surface, looking for any sign of imperfection. There was none. What was life like in his new friend’s world? Children dropping dead left, right and centre. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like, and in their first chat they had barely scratched the surface.      At lunchtime he avoided the company of the guys – he couldn’t be bothered to deal with Hedgeson, and didn’t want the subject of Salvo’s eyewitness account of the outsider to come up again, in case he let something slip – so he went to the library. Although a flawless outcome in examinations was guaranteed, such extra study was logged and went on his school record. That was the sort of thing that would really help him land a job just that bit better than his peers.     Wellesbury sat down at a computer terminal and accessed the infraweb. His fingers hesitated above the keys for a few moments. All computer activity was recorded and undeletable. They would know he had been looking up strange words. Whatever “they” meant – the school? The government? How would he be able to explain such activity if questioned?      Well, it was a life-or-death situation. He had to start somewhere. He performed a search for “dizeese”. Nothing came up. Then – what were the people called that Mallinger thought could help him? “Docters.” Nothing.     He had no clue where to begin to help his friend. At a loss, he slumped back and rubbed a hand over his face.     “You look worried,” said a sweet-sounding voice.     Wellesbury sat up with a jolt and looked around. There was Ezmerelda, a few desks away, sitting hunched over her studies. He’d been so consumed with his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed her upon entering. That was a good indication of how preoccupied he was, as she stood out from the rest of the crowd as different somehow. He liked her – she was a bit of a loner as he could sometimes be, and those emerald eyes dazzled him every time.     She glanced up from her own terminal and gave him a smile that, though small, ignited something in his soul. He smiled back, and waved awkwardly.     “Want to tell me what’s up?” she asked.     Wellesbury opened and shut his mouth a couple of times. It was unthinkable to tell someone in the class where he’d been, and he didn’t want any further ridicule, especially from someone he admired.     Her face creased up in apparent amusement at his floundering, and she said, “Okay, I’ll put you out of your misery. I know where you were this morning.”     “What?” He looked around quickly to ensure they were alone, then scooted over to sit in the chair next to her. “How...?”     “Oh, yes. I hear things, you see. I’d already heard about the visitor, of course... that’s pretty common knowledge now. Then I heard my dad talking about you before school. I think you did something really great, Wellesbury.”     Leaving aside the wave of wellbeing that enveloped him upon hearing these last words, Wellesbury said, “Your dad?”     “He works for the government. It’s all hush-hush, of course, but he doesn’t keep it a secret from his own family. He doesn’t talk about anything with me, because I’m just a kid –” she rolled her eyes – “but I overhear him and Mum talking plenty. Mostly him ranting and raving. You weren’t painted in a favourable light, I’m afraid to say.”     “You probably shouldn’t be telling me this,” said Wellesbury in a lower voice, looking in the opposite direction furtively. He remembered the conversation with the warder. “They could be recording this.” Hang on, why hadn’t he thought of that before he went to talk to Mallinger?     “Oh no, there’s no bugs in here,” she said. “Maybe in the future, more places will have them... but at the moment, the conversations of children aren’t considered important enough to warrant the cost of listening to.”

Title: Black & WhiteAuthor: Nick WilfordGenre: YA dystopianSeries #: 1 of 3Release date: 18th September 2017Publisher: Superstar Peanut PublishingBlurb:What is the price paid for the creation of a perfect society?

In Whitopolis, a gleamingly white city of the future where illness has been eradicated, shock waves run through the populace when a bedraggled, dirt-stricken boy materialises in the main street. Led by government propaganda, most citizens shun him as a demon, except for Wellesbury Noon – a high school student the same age as the boy.

Upon befriending the boy, Wellesbury feels a connection that he can’t explain – as well as discovering that his new friend comes from a land that is stricken by disease and only has two weeks to live. Why do he and a girl named Ezmerelda Dontible appear to be the only ones who want to help?

As they dig deeper, everything they know is turned on its head – and a race to save one boy becomes a struggle to redeem humanity.
Purchase Links:Amazon US / Amazon UK / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iBooksAdd it on GoodreadsMeet the author: Nick Wilford is a writer and stay-at-home dad. Once a journalist, he now makes use of those early morning times when the house is quiet to explore the realms of fiction, with a little freelance editing and formatting thrown in. When not working he can usually be found spending time with his family or cleaning something. He has four short stories published in Writer’s Muse magazine. Nick is also the editor of Overcoming Adversity: An Anthology for Andrew. Visit him at his blog or connect with him on Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon. Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy of my collection A Change of Mind and Other Stories or a $10 giftcard! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Revamped Website

In preparation for my upcoming release of Dark Winds Rising this December, I’ve recently revamped my website. Now both of my books will be available: pre-orders for Dark Winds Rising and Between Two Fires purchases wherever books are sold. Marknoce.com.
Apologies for being MIA online for a while. My family and I took a much needed vacation. Needless to say, we had a great time, although the kids certainly kept us on our toes. That’s why we made sure to bring the grandparents along too!
But I’m getting off topic already. Checkout my new website changes, including a new look and updated links. Thanks so much!

P.S. My youngest refuses to smile for pictures at the moment. ;)