Kate Padilla's Blog, page 11

NEW RELEASES: JANUARY 28-FEBRUARY 3

JANUARY 30 IF SOULS CAN SLEEP (THE SOUL SLEEP CYCLE, 1), BY DAVID MICHAEL WILLIAMS
Fiction: Sci-Fi. One Million Words. 368 pp.

If Souls Can Sleep introduces a hidden world where gifted individuals possess the power to invade the dreams of others. Two rival factions have transformed the dreamspace into a war zone where all reality is relative and even the dead can't rest in peace.

THE WEDDING DATE, BY JASMINE GUILLORY
Fiction: Romance. Berkley. 320 pp.

A groomsman and his last-minute guest are a...

REVIEW: RINGWORLD

Ringworld, by Larry Niven

I need to begin this review with a disclaimer: I am not really a sci-fi person. I've read them in the past, and I'll read more in the future, but it's not my preferred genre. But I picked up and read Larry Niven's Ringworld for two reasons: 1) It's a part of the Book Roulette; and 2) It's one of the foundational novels in the science fiction genre.

Here is the basis for the book:

Four travelers--

Louis Wu--human and old, old; bored with having lived t...

THEME VS. STORY

Picture this: You're sitting down to write your next book. You open a blank document (or turn to a blank page in your notebook) and you start to write.

What are you writing?

Most people, specifically those who write fiction, would say "a story." And this would be true. Most of us, when we begin a new project, start with a story in mind. But is it necessary to have a story in mind when we begin a new book? Is it even the best way to start a new project?

In an episode of his podcast, The Tim Ferri...

NEW RELEASES: JANUARY 21-27

JANUARY 23 ELYSIUM FIRE, BY ALASTAIR REYNOLDS
Fiction: Science Fiction. Orbit. 432 pp.

Elysium Fire is a smoldering tale of murderers, secret cultists, tampered memories, and unthinkable power, of bottomless corruption and overpowering idealism from the king of modern space opera.

GRAY HAWK OF TERRAPIN, BY MOSS WHELAN
YA Fantasy. Prodigy Gold Books. 275 pp.

Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey laced with evil, chronicling histories of cruelty, kidnapping, and false imprisonment in search of...

FEATURE: BOOMHOOD

BOOMHOOD--A BABY BOOMER'S FREE-RANGE CHILDHOOD, BY ROBERT B. HAFEY
Memoir. Self-published: September 2017. 188 pp.
BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZON VISIT ROBERT HAFEY'S WEBSITE THE STORY Boomhood--A Baby Boomer's Free-Range Childhood overviews generational memories created by common childhood experiences and historical events. It is a flash-back, whimsical and fun account of one baby-boomer's childhood. Reading Boomhood will cause individuals to reflect upon their own childhood t...

GOOD WRITING: 'I HAVE A DREAM ...'

I had another post planned for today, but with it being Martin Luther King, Jr. day I went back and re-read his famous 1963 "I Have A Dream ..." speech from the March on Washington. We are now 55 years away from that day, and as these events and these people become faded into "the past," it's easy to pick certain quotes and facts about them and use their legacy to further whatever message we want to send. (It's easy to send a message in a line or two). But people, all people, are more complic...

NEW RELEASES: JANUARY 14-20

JANUARY 15 MOON BLOOD (THE FIRST BLOOD SON, 1), BY CAROL MCKIBBEN
Paranormal Fiction. Troll River Publications. 67 pp.

Kane de Medici, the first blood son of Brogio, the original vampire, saves Moon, a hybrid wolf pup, from certain death. The kindred two are soon immersed in a world of corporate espionage, murder, and intrigue and forced to fight for their lives. Escaping capture and torture when human predators discover their vampire nature, they exact deadly revenge.

JANUARY 16 THE ARRANGEME...

FEATURE: UBER DIVA

UBER DIVA, BY CHARLES ST. ANTHONY
Impossibly Glamorous Studios: September 2017. 64 pp. BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZON THE STORY She's sitting on a secret. With thousands of Uber and Lyft rides under her belt, Uber Diva offers a bird's eye view of what it's really like to work as a rideshare driver. She also instructs passengers on how to avoid getting spanked with a 1-star rating. Meet the freaks, learn the equipment, and see how this diva survived when a drunk driver T-boned...

FREE EBOOK: 2017 CHARACTER NAME GUIDE

I am a bit excited about this post.

It's been my goal for several years now to create Blondie Marie into more than just a blog for my book reviews and writing. I want to become a media company -- an all-encompassing resource for writers and self-publishers in all stages, from outlining to marketing a final book. Part of how I'm doing that is to follow my own journey in writing. As I'm currently working on my first novel, my writing-focused posts are largely going to be about the early stages...

NEW RELEASES: JANUARY 7-13

JANUARY 9 DEADLY SUMMER, BY DENICE GROVER SWANK
Fiction: Thriller. Montlake Romance. 362 pp.

New York Times bestselling author Denise Grover Swank gives a former TV star one more shot at fame -- and it proves to be a killer comeback ...

THE PERFECT NANNY , BY LEILA SLIMANI
Fiction: Thriller. Penguin Books. 240 pp.

She has the keys to their apartment. She knows everything. She has embedded herself so deeply in their lives that it now seems impossible to remove her.

JANUARY 10 ASLEEP F...