Richard Gradner's Blog, page 9

Get It Here

My first magazine review in Get It Mag. #publicity #review. More reviews here.

Off the Grid

Meme. An image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by Internet users, often with slight variations. I came across one of these memes recently that put things into perspective. It was a snapshot of 5 bicycles lying haphazardly on a piece of lawn in front of a house. The meme read: This was how we used to know where our friends were playing, implying that nowadays we use electronic communication to do the same thing. It also implies that before Facebook and Whatstapp, kids were more sociable and spent more time outdoors, doing physical exercise.

Today, most of us are permanently connected to the digital communication network in some form or other. From our mobile phones, laptops and even televisions, our attention is constantly in demand. Even kids are connected to the web via iPads from their early years. And it seems as if this trend is not declining…

So what do we do? How do we find balance for both our kids and ourselves in this digital maelstrom?

I had the fortunate opportunity to get off the grid last week and I highly recommend it. 11 of us converged on the Tsitsikama Nature Reserve near Plettenburg Bay in South Africa. It’s an incredible part of the world teeming with wildlife, freshly flowing rivers and thick, indigenous forest. We set out on a 5-day hike called The Otter Trail, along the coast, stopping at wooden huts each day to rest our aching muscles. The best part of all of this, is that there’s no reception. Nada. One if my mates that was with us runs a mobile business. He confessed that he had not disconnected for 15 years! You can just imagine how liberated he felt!

I believe that it’s vitally important to regularly disconnect from the digital world in order to break the pattern of confinement that we often finds ourselves in. This experience gave us all the opportunity to really appreciate nature, each other and life in general. It helped many of us reflect on ourselves and those around us. For some, it was a life-changing experience that I’m certain will create positive change to the way in which we conduct our lives going forward. Whether it’s diet, exercise or an overall awareness of our actions in the real world, even the smallest change creates a ripple that impacts on our immediate environment.

The lesson? Get out more. Explore this beautiful planet we call home. Disconnect from the Grid.

The post Off the Grid appeared first on Richard Gradner.

Feeling Lucky?

It’s competition time! I’m giving away 20 books via Goodreads.com. Simply click the link below to enter.

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Return To Lemuria
by Richard Gradner

Giveaway ends December 24, 2014.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

The post Feeling Lucky? appeared first on Richard Gradner.

SF

OK, so the first thing that comes to mind when you see SF is Science Fiction, right? Well it is for me in any event. Yes, Return To Lemuria may have elements of science fiction but my understanding of science fiction novels are the ones that involve stories of space exploration, robots and aliens, of which my novel bears no similarity at all.

Just recently, my wife Adele came across a genre that I believe perfectly defines my novel, Return To Lemuria. It’s called Speculative Fiction. The irony is that world-renowned science fiction author, Robert Heinlein is attributed this genre, who coined it a 1947 editorial essay. Speculative fiction is a broad literary genre encompassing any fiction with supernatural, fantastical, or futuristic elements.

Return To Lemuria has all of this and more. It’s a story set in the present day but draws on the plausible existence of the descendants of an ancient, highly advanced civilisation, that lived on a continent in the pacific that disappeared at the time of the last ice age, over 12,000 years ago. It’s an action-packed thriller of a tale, filled with adventure, mystery and intrigue. For a free sample, reviews or to purchase a paperback or digital edition, please visit richardgradner.com

The post SF appeared first on Richard Gradner.

Launched!

Thank You friends and family for your support at my birthday-book launch. Over 30 books sold! Enjoy the adventure. Looking forward to your feedback. Please visit richardgradner.com to leave your comments and feedback.

s

The post Launched! appeared first on Richard Gradner.

Q&A’s with Richard

I recently created an Author’s profile on Goodreads.com. To improve the quality of my profile, I was prompted to answer 6 questions…

1. How do you deal with writer’s block?
RG: Change. Change the scenery. Have a drink (a proper drink), then start writing. Write without thinking and then look over your work for inspirational, out-the-box ideas.2. What’s the best thing about being a writer?

RG: Finding something passionate and fulfilling to take up time that would otherwise be wasted on mundane stuff.

3. What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

RG: Put the framework for your story together and stick to it. Lauren Beukes gave me the best advice when I started writing. She said “finish your story”. In other words, don’t mess about with marketing or anything else, rather stick to finishing the story first. You gotta keep your eye on the ball. If you busy yourself with other stuff in the middle of writing, then you lose focus and momentum which makes it that much harder to start writing again. Be consistent. Write at the same time and place.

4. What are you currently working on?

RG: I’m currently working on the framework for my next novel.

5. How do you get inspired to write?
RG: Inspiration doesn’t come easy. Most of the time you just have to put your head down, start writing and get into the story. Once you bury yourself in the detail, the inspiration flows. It’s important to work within a framework instead of just writing blind. This gives you a set of goals or milestones to work towards within the story. Sometimes an exciting piece of the story becomes an inspirational drawcard so you write until you reach it and then the passion really flows.

6. Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

RG: So much of the same stuff has been written about that what I really wanted was to create something different. Something unique. I read a book once, long ago, about the Lemurian civilisation so I decided to use it as a basis for my story. It just works. I believe that it speaks to people today. It’s filled with mystery, intrigue, prophecy, crime, spirituality, adventure and suspense. It’s best described as a new-age, dystopian thriller. Dan Brown meets James Redfield.

Here’s the link to the page.

The post Q&A’s with Richard appeared first on Richard Gradner.

Dystopia

Return To Lemuria is a work of fiction. It took me quite a while to classify the true genre of the story due to its varied themes and ideas. The story switches from present day to 12,000 years ago and back again. It’s main theme centers around the descendants of a long, lost civilisation who are intent at taking over the world. This is where Dystopia fits in.

I believe that the following quote from Wikipedia best describes what I am alluring to in the genre of my novel:

Dystopia is defined as a society characterized by a focus on negative societies such as mass poverty, public mistrust, police state, squalor, suffering, or oppression, that society has most often brought upon itself.[1] Most authors of dystopian fiction explore at least one reason why things are that way, often as an analogy for similar issues in the real world. In the words of Keith M. Booker, dystopian literature is used to “provide fresh perspectives on problematic social and political practices that might otherwise be taken for granted or considered natural and inevitable”.

The post Dystopia appeared first on Richard Gradner.

Book Launch Book Launch

Be the first to get a signed, printed copy of my debut novel, Return To Lemuria, a dystopian thriller about the descendants of a mythical civilisation that flourished over 12,000 years ago. The book launch will take place at La Perla Bar in Sea Point, Cape Town, from 6pm on Saturday 15 November 2014. I will be selling books at R100 each on the night (50% off the list price.) Please click here and fill in your details to reserve a discounted book (only Cape Town residents) if you cannot make it to the event. Click here to read a sample copy.

The post Book Launch Book Launch appeared first on Richard Gradner.

Sample Gratis Monster

So, after many requests, you will be pleased to find a download link to a FREE sample copy of the first few chapters of Return To Lemuria. Please feel free to leave some comments. Click HERE and Enjoy!

 

 

 

Press Here

Interesting that the etymology of the word press (a collection of journalists) originally comes from the French wine or cheese presse which was further extended to the printing press. With the more modern forms communication, the word Media has become more commonplace and yet press is still used a lot…

So here I am, in Jozi town, putting together a Press Release for my debut novella, Return To Lemuria. I’ve decided to host a book launch (in Cape Town), paired with my birthday, that will take place in a few weeks time. Bonus is, I will have books for sale at a discounted price for those that are interested. Details to follow soon ; )