FREE eBooks and Call for Beta Readers

You can now download The Theft of the Rhinegold , the first completed chapter of the Curse of the Rhinegold , in three formats as a digital chapbook. Click the Fantasy Castle Books tab up there and scroll down to the bottom for the links. The links will remain active for a limited time only, so get yours while you can.



As for the formats, the PDF is an exact replica of the final print format, in high resolution quality, so I recommend it above the others, although it's a fairly hefty 47 megabyte file. I've also included both ePub and Mobi files for those who want a smaller file size or to use with a particular eReader/app, but be forewarned that both will have white borders around the edges, whereas the PDF does not. However, that being said, if you open the PDF in iBooks it will revert to that reader's default margin settings, adding white space around the edges that is not in the actual file. I will be creating a fixed layout ePub edition for iBooks at some point which will do away with this, but I haven't got that far just yet.



Also unfortunate is that the new Adobe Reader app for iPad only allows you to view a single page at a time, rather than the preferred two page spread, so that is not ideal either. Of course, on the NookColor and similar 7" screens you can only view one page at a time anyway, and I've designed the page layouts with that in mind. But if you view the PDF on your computer screen you'll be able to see it as it was ideally intended with both pages joined together at the spine to create a complete image. You can also, of course, view the online version of the book on the Fantasy Castle Books webpage.



Feel free to download and share these files with anyone you want. Just be aware that it is copyright material, and you are not allowed to sell it or use any part of it for commercial purposes without my permission, as per the copyright page. If you have a blog of your own, you are welcome to offer these free ebook files to your readers as well.





CALL FOR BETA READERS:



As an incentive (or a bonus, if you will), for anyone who sends in a review, comments, or critique of this section I will send you an autographed, limited edition print chapbook, as seen in the image on the right. These are hand-produced by myself, color laser printed on high quality paper stock and hand cut and stapled. The book measures 5" x 8" and runs 22 pages long, as you know if you've been following along.



I plan to do this for each of the five sections of this first book (and possibly the rest, depending on how this one goes), and anyone who reviews all five sections will receive an autographed copy of the complete finished print edition, as well as their choice of final ebook format.



In order for this offer to be valid there are, of course, a few stipulations involved. Foremost, reviews must be a minimum of one full page of single-spaced typed text (roughly 700 words or so, but more is always better), and cover at least some of the following criteria:


Overall presentation: i.e. visual aesthetics and appeal, general impressions
Readability: are the text and font style clearly legible and easy to read?
Story Content: general issues of plot, pacing, and character development
Writing Style: comments on the use of semi-archaic narrative style are welcome
Grammar: as always, please point out any stray errors you might find!
Art Layout: overall composition and balance of the graphic and text elements
Color Balance: are the colors vivid enough, or overly so? Too dark? Too light?
Characters: are the four main characters appealing and visually interesting?
Setting: do you get a good sense of the story world from the elements presented?
Do you want to read more after finishing this section?
Is this a book you might buy if you saw it on the bookstore shelves?

Don't feel obligated to hit each point, but just give me what sticks out the most for you. And feel free to add any other points you might think of as you're reading. If you do reviews you'll know what I mean, but otherwise just give me a general sense of how the book affected you, and any particular details that stand out. Of course, the more specific detail the better, as it will help me to refine my future efforts, and/or go back and fix things in revision. Negative comments are as welcome and helpful as positive ones, so don't hold back.



Send your reviews to: reviews@fantasycastlebooks.com, and be sure to give me your name and address so I know where to send your chapbook. Also let me know what format and reading device you used, and how that experience was, bearing in mind the caveats given above.



Thanks in advance, and I hope you all enjoy the book.