Ancient Rome Has A Dark Heart - 5 Star Read By Author Elizabeth Ellen Carter.

For those of you who love reading historical novels, you can't go past Elizabeth Ellen Carter's thrilling romantic saga, Dark Heart. I had the privilege of beta reading this book before publication, and I was hooked.
Set in 3rd century Rome, the story revolves around Roman magistrate, Marcus Drusus, who sets out to solve a series of disappearances and subsequent gruesome murders of young boys whose bodies have been discovered outside the city walls. Aided by Kyna, a British captive and trained healer by one of Rome's finest physicians, they place their own lives in danger when their investigation leads them into the highest circles of Roman society.
Brilliantly written, with page turning suspense and the ability to transport you straight into the heart of ancient Rome, this book will leave you wanting more from this author. 
It deserves more than 5 stars.

Go ONE CLICK this book now! Amazon

A series of ritual murders of young boys recalls memories of Rome's most wicked emperor. Magistrate Marcus Cornelius Drusus has discovered the cult extends to the very heart of Roman society.

Despite his personal wealth and authority, Marcus is a slave to his past - conflicted by his status as an adopted son, bitterly betrayed by his wife and forced to give up his child.

Kyna knows all about betrayal. Sold into slavery by her husband to pay a gambling debt, she found herself in Rome, far from her home in Britannia. Bought by a doctor, she is taught his trade and is about to gain her freedom when her mentor is murdered by the cult.

When the same group makes an attempt on her life, Kyna is forced to give up her freedom and accept Marcus' protection. With no one to trust but each other, mutual attraction ignites into passion.But how far will Marcus go for vengeance when he learns the cult's next victim is his son?

Can the woman who is free in her heart heal the man who is a slave in his?

Amazon

Contact details: Facebook  Website

My Favourite Word is Gossamer? What's Yours?

Have you ever had a favourite word? One that transports you to another world, or another place? 

Mine is Gossamer. 

Not only does it roll beautifully off the tongue, but it conjures images of a dew-laden cobweb glistening like a multi-faceted jewel in the early morning light. 

Or (and here my inner child skips forward) a vision of fairies, trailing delicate patterns of quicksilver as they dart in and out of moonbeams on a warm summer's evening.

The world around me fades away, and I'm transported elsewhere.

Words are magic. And like a conjurer, writers use word-sorcery to paint pictures of what only our minds can see.

Did you know that the ancient Anglo-Saxon word for storyteller was Wordsmith? 

As valuable as blacksmith or swordsmith, storytellers - or Bards, as they were known (that's writers in today's language) - were regarded as craftsmen and believed to weave words together to create magic.

From a peasant's lonely hut to the great halls of kings, ancient bards would open their Wordhoard - collection of words they'd committed to memory - and spin tales of great heroes, like Beowulf the monster slayer, St George and the dragon, or local tales they'd heard in their travels re-imagined and recited to a new audience.

In the dead of winter, people gathered together around the welcoming warmth of a fire in their chief's great hall to listen to the bard, as an icy wind piled snowdrifts outside.

How easily they could hear the cry of a monster in the howling wind beyond the safety of their timbered hall's walls as the bard told the story of the evil dragon Grendel; of goblins that stole children in the night; of elves and water sprites that beckoned to the unwary, dragging them down to a watery grave.

Have I conjured up images in your mind?

Then I've done my job.

I'm a wordsmith.

If you'd like read more of my words, you'll find them in my Dantonville Legacy series - Amazon

Meet High Fantasy Author, Sarina Langer

Sarina is the author of the Relics of Ar’Zac trilogy. The first book in the series, Rise of the Sparrows, was released in late May 2016. She’s currently working on the sequel, Wardens of Archos, a new fantasy series as well as her first sci-fi novel.

She’s obsessed with books and all things stationery, has a proud collection of over twenty notebooks, and squeezes every time she buys a new notebook, pen (hmmm, fountain pens) or highlighters.

In her free time she reads fantasy and sci-fi novels, plays video games and researches human sacrifice traditions and the end of the universe.

Her cat, the Sellybean, has become a mascot to this blog and her writing, and is probably sitting on her notes/laptop/chewing her pen as you read this.

She loves talking about books, stationery, and everything related to writing, so make a cuppa, get a cookie, and say hi!

 

Rifarne is a country opposed to magic. When its people demand harsh action, King Aeric sees himself with no other choice but to outlaw those with the gift. Rachael, a homeless orphan with the rare gift of a Seer, soon finds herself with visions of her own violent death. When her escape goes wrong and she ends up in the clutches of a vicious Mist Woman lusting for her blood, she finds she is the only person to stop the war against people like her – and assassinating the King to become Queen to a people who once wanted her dead may well be the only way to do just that. 

Buy links: Amazon

Connect with Sarina Langer: Goodreads
                                               Twitter
                                               Facebook
                                               Instagram
                                               Pinterest

Long Live The Gothic Novel.

Shades of horror, the paranormal, unnatural deeds done in the dark, magic and mystery are embodied in that one word: Gothic. All that is uncivilised, unnatural, macabre, grotesque and even eccentric belong in the world of the gothic novel.

Some of the most well-known classics belong to this genre.

Think Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights - untamed Cathy and wild Heathcliffe rushing headlong into a doomed relationship among the misty moors of Yorkshire. Or, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre with the eccentric Mr Rochester and a gloomy house hiding a strange secret. Every page is heavy with suspense and sexual tension, capturing readers' emotions as no other books of the time did.
And people loved it.
Couldn't get enough of it.

But the Bronte's did not create the gothic genre. Two-hundred years earlier, Horace Walpole wrote The Castle of Otranto (1765), which became an instant sensation. By the close of the eighteenth century, two more gothic novels were written - The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Monk. So sensational were they, that even Jane Austen succumbed to the trend. But her novel, Northanger Abbey, parodied the genre rather than emulated it.

Over the next century, more gothic novels were published: Frankenstein (1818); and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831), set among the soaring arches of a gothic cathedral, the sad and misshapen figure of Quasimodo swinging from the gargoyles to stare at the inhabitants of Paris below him.
In 1847, Varney the Vampire: or The Feast of Blood was published, which predated the epitome of all gothic novels - Bram Stoker's Dracula, in 1898.

These books were the best sellers of their day, and still are.

My own books, the Dantonville Legacy series, embody those characteristics of the gothic - the mystery of a cursed family waiting two-thousand years to be redeemed.
Love live the gothic novel!

 

Ebook - http://amzn.to/29uk0a1

Paperback - http://amzn.to/2kiYcFs

 

Meet Indie Author, Kristy Nicolle

Kristy Nicolle is a 23 year old writer living in the historically beautiful English city of Norwich. She is a full time writer and a graduate of The University of Lincoln in English literature & language, as well as an avid collector of first editions.

Having penned her first novel length piece at age thirteen, Kristy has been writing daily ever since and is particularly drawn to Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance and Science fiction. Kristy Nicolle's Queens of Fantasy Saga is a collection of 3 trilogies, following the lives of three extraordinary women and their journeys, both personal and fantastical, into three unique but interconnected fantasy worlds. The first trilogy in the saga, 'The Tidal Kiss Trilogy', captures the fantastical underwater world of the Occulta Mirum and its scaly tailed residents as their world, which seemed stable for so long, begins to shift. The following two trilogies in the series are so named- The Ashen Touch Trilogy, which will be debuting in 2017 with book one The Opal Blade, and the final trilogy in the saga is called The Aetherial Embrace Trilogy and will be debuting once the Ashen Touch Trilogy concludes.

Kristy is also an animal lover and has a cat, Mitsy, who she has lovingly dubbed Doctor Moo after harboring the belief that all cats are secretly Time Lords. Kristy’s reading preferences are wide, spreading from William Gibson to William Golding and encapsulating multiple genres, though her favorites include Science fiction, Adventure stories and Postmodern narratives such as Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight’s Children’, and numerous Angela Carter titles.

 When Callie Pierce turns 18 she has three very simple goals: avoid her stepfather, escape to an Ivy League university of her dreams, and party with her friends. But on a night like any other, when the moon is full over the ocean, her life changes in a way that no one could have ever seen coming. On the sandy beaches of San Diego she meets Orion, a man from whom she cannot stay away and to whom her return becomes as inevitable as the tide kissing the shore. If that isn't enough, a kiss which changes everything plunges Callie head first into a world of mythic responsibility, epic danger, and heart stopping romance. The mer, an ancient race of warriors brought forth to defend the seas, show her wonders beyond what is humanly possible, forcing her into an archaic chain of events that bring together power, seduction, violence, and beauty in a terrifying, yet exhilarating mix. Then there’s the Banished to contend with, a group of Psirens corrupted by the ocean's abyss that stand to destroy the eternity Callie has been promised. Will she sacrifice herself for the greater good, or is the gravity that pulls her to Orion just too great to bear?

Check out Kristy's books here

Website

Facebook Author Page

The Dantonville Legacy Series Has All New Covers

It happened so fast that I hadn't had time to boast about my new book covers. I simply updated all my social media headers without a word about it. There were too many other things going on at the same time.
Why change?
Sales had slowed right down and so something needed to be done. Also, although I loved my previous covers, the symbolic images were more reflective of urban fantasy rather than paranormal romance, the genre in which my series of books comfortably sit.
Thanks go to JC Clarke who designed and and created my new book covers.
I love them.

Since I was on a roll, I also updated the book description for BloodGifted, the first book in the series.

What’s a girl to do when she learns she’s the key to breaking a centuries-old family curse? Become dangerously intimate with a jaw-dropping vision of male hotness hiding a secret agenda of his own.

Nothing could be simpler.

Or is it?

When primary school teacher Laura Dantonville learns of her family's dark ancestral legacy, she’s propelled into a secret underworld ruled by magic, mystery and murder, and stalked by vampire clans who would do anything to possess her. For her protection, she’s assigned a guardian not knowing that part of her role in ending the ancient curse that has plagued her family for centuries, involves having a child with him.

And she has one day to make a decision.

With only five years left of servitude to his sire, Alec Munro reluctantly accepts to act as Laura’s guardian or risk remaining in slavery forever. But can he maintain a platonic relationship between them when something far more intimate is required to end his sire’s family curse?

With time running out, Laura must decide to either accept Alec or allow her vampire-hating detective boyfriend to end the legacy his way – by eliminating the undead side of her family.

After all, they’re not human are they?

Being unable to age is just the beginning.

I hope that's a great start for 2017 .😊

Sorry, But My Books Are Not Free T-Shirt

I find nothing gets a point across then a T-shirt with a great meme. So here are two I've created to show that every author deserves to be paid for the fabulous books they produce for a voracious reading public. Perhaps I'll have them printed by Vistaprint to wear to my next book signing at Books By The Bridge event in Sydney.
Not sure which one I prefer.
Maybe I'll have them both printed up.
What if other authors would like one, as well?
Mmm ... I see these taking off!

My Books Are Not Free

A new movement is developing. One that's rebelling against the entitlement generation in the literary world who believe authors should not be paid for their books.

It's a sick attitude.

No author can earn a decent living giving away their books.

And readers should not expect that they should.

I've already written an extensive blog post on this topic earlier, so there's no need for me to repeat it all here - Keep Calm and Fart Rainbows

Therefore, over 600 of us authors have come together in a Facebook event we've titled, Our Books Are Not Free to protest against this freebie culture.

We're featuring the work of hundreds of indie and traditionally published authors who have priced their books reasonably so everyone can afford to buy them.

NO 99c and definitely NO FREE books.

If anyone can afford to but themselves a cup of coffee, they can certainly pay for a book that took longer to create and gives greater satisfaction.

Writers provide a service.

And readers, if you want that service, you pay for it like you do for everything else!

Over the next weeks, I'll be featuring individual authors and their books.

Check them out. You never know, you might just find your next favourite author.

Readers and Authors: Salieri to Mozart?

Ever see the movie or play Amadeus? In it, Mozart is supposedly murdered by a musician rival, Salieri who, knowing Mozart is ill, still commissions him to write a requiem. The effort required to compose this work added further strain on Mozart's already weakened body, and he dies as a result.
Far fetched, you reckon?

Maybe, maybe not.
The point I'm making is that sometimes readers, in their voracious hunger for new material to read (especially from their favourite authors), don't realise the strain they're placing on authors to complete that next book in the series, to finish their current WIP (Word in Progress) or to hurry up with that next novella, short story ....
Authors are crumbling beneath the strain, worried they'll lose their reader following if they don't feed the monster.
We, the authors, have become Mozart to our Salieris.
Now I'm not saying I don't appreciate and value my readers. Heaven knows I do, and I thank goodness for each and every one, and if I could write faster and produce more books - 2-3 per year - I would, just to satisfy my wonderful readers.
But, alas, I can't.
My ideas flow at a slower pace than some (whom I envy) and my books are larger. On average, my novels range from 114K to 95K words. Those are no small numbers. It takes me approximately 10 months to complete the first draft before it goes to my editor who then picks it apart until it's perfect. The next month I'm editing and re-editing before the manuscript is shipped off to my Beta readers whose job is to spot every typo, every blooper, every gremlin that can wreck a smooth read.
Twelve months later, taa-daa *drum roll* a new book is ready to be launched.
In the  meanwhile, I've neglected my family, postponed social engagements (some of my friends have given up talking to me, and I don't blame them), and scrimped together enough money from my meager royalties for a professional cover design, formatting, editing and proofreading just to get another book out there.
Then I take a deep breath and sit back - for at least a good half hour - at another job done.
The alcoholic drink in my hand is mandatory.
Ah! But it's not over. Now I need to spend the next three months marketing and promoting my latest release while starting on my next WIP.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm simply showing the reality in being an author in the digital age, and it's a pace few can maintain.
I'm hoping I can, as there are a lot more stories inside my head clamouring to get out.
So please readers, when you're inquiring about the next installment in my series, also ask me if I've had a holiday.

As for freebies .... that's for another post, and it won't be pretty.

PS BloodWish is due for release this coming Easter 😊 And if you haven't yet started this series, what are you waiting for? 😉

Available on Amazon. Just ONE CLICK HERE.

2016 Christmas Author Giveaway

Come and join this year's Christmas Author Giveaway. As always, there's an amazing lineup of talented writers giving away copies of their books along with other great prizes.

Check out the promos and the books on offer for your cosy Christmas and Seasonal reading, then click onto the rafflecopter to see the individual prizes, and the FREE entry instructions.
You have to be in it to win it.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

 

Come and Join the Halloween Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the 2016 edition of the Halloween Scavenger Hunt. Whether it be creepy or kooky, mysterious or spooky, Halloween is just perfect for all things paranormal.
This scavenger hunt has 15 authors participating. Head on over to ALL participating authors to enter as many giveaways as you can!

My theme is: Fairies/Fae

For your chance to win a signed swag pack (open internationally), an e-book of any of my books and a $10 Amazon Gift Card, all you need to do is:

- Find your birth-month fairy/fae and post a pic (2 points)
- In 30 words or less, tell me what you know of fairies/fae (10 points)
- Who is your favourite fairy and why? (5 points)

Post your answer below in the comments section on my Facebook page to be entered, or on here.

Now, hop over to Montana Ash's facebook page to continue the fun there.

Book Expo Australia 2016

If you're in Sydney the weekend of Oct 8th-9th, come and join me at the Sydney Book Expo in The Pavillion, Rosehill Racecourse.
I'll be discounting my books from $25 to $20 each. A signed boxed set of all three will be selling for $50. That's a $10 discount.

Hope to see you there.

Keep Calm and Fart Rainbows - The Author's World.

As Charles Dickens writes in A Tale of Two Cities: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." The same could be said for being an indie author nowadays, living in an exciting time where we're free to write and publish our own stories without having to rely on the arbitrary approval of traditional publishers. But it also means we're responsible for all our own marketing and publicity, dealing with reader expectations, good and bad reviews and piracy.

Then, there's the issue of free books.
Don't readers understand that asking authors to give away our books is destroying our livelihoods? I wonder if they really care? Between the freeloaders and the pirate sites downloading our books illegally, there's not much chance of earning a crust in this job. But then, since most people see writing as a hobby, I guess they reckon we don't need to be paid.

We can live on air, right? And of course, everyone knows the pixies pay the mortgage, authors don't have families that eat and unicorns fart rainbows.
Ah, the wonderful world of readers' illusions.
Unless this culture of entitlement changes, I can see more and more writers quitting the business. Why put all that time, effort and money into writing, editing, polishing and marketing a book only for it to be either stolen or ignored by the general reading public until they can grab it for free?
In the four years I've been published, my sales have bottomed out. By now, with 4 books out, I should be selling 4-8 books/day. Instead, I'm lucky to get 1-2 sales/day.
And it's not as if my books are invisible.
 
According to the experts, I'm doing all the right things - offering my short story (Laura's Locket) for FREE, and Book One (BloodGifted) for only 99c; an active social media presence; a fantastic number of genuine followers on twitter (even a bunch of Russian and Asian hookers, bless their little pearly G-strings. Guess they like reading paranormal romance in their spare time!); a website with a blog, and I'm even on Instagram posting pretty pics that take me hours to create or locate in hope somebody might like it enough to check out my profile - yet the results are enough to turn even a unicorn's rainbow poop brown.
 
And paid marketing sites aren't as effective as they used to be.
 
This has never happened before. My cover and blurb are just the same, so I can't blame the lack of sales on that.
Nope, the book world is changing.
With so many free books saturating the market, it's freeloader heaven. Why pay? And that pricey $3.99 book readers are dying to get their hands on? Well, they can simply download it from a myriad pirate sites while sipping their $5 Starbucks coffee.
And they say it's the best time to be a writer.
I suppose that depends on your point of view.

If you haven't yet read my Dantonville Legacy Series, and would like to support an indie author,  here's your chance 😊
Get BloodGifted on Amazon

 

Sunday Showcase: Paranormal Mystery Author Pamela Winn

1.How and why did you choose your book covers?

I try to find covers that are linked to the story without revealing too much. For the books “Viewings”, “At Hidden Lake”, and “Wings to Whispers”, I drew the covers myself. Some day I may go back and do that for all of the 40 books.

2. If you had to choose a recipe that reflected one of your books, what would it be?

Definitely I would have to find a recipe for the short story collections “Visitations” and “Wings to Whispers” A heavenly dessert, because the books are both collections of loved ones who have passed away and are trying to reach us from the other side.

3. If you had the chance to spend the day with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

I would say Joshua in the book “Obligations”. He had a near death experience that took him to the other side and back again. Something evil followed behind. Now, Joshua can see spirits and people’s auras. I am fascinated by auras and think it would be amazing to be able to see them and decide what they truly mean. If we could see a person’s aura we would have an idea about what makes them tick. I think sitting down with Joshua as he learns about not only auras, but communicating with spirits, or angels, would be fascinating. I hope readers feel that when they read the story.

4. What do you find the most challenging thing about being an author?

That would have to be promoting. Trying to get your book out where others can find it and grab it to read is a challenge. I am not a salesman and had no idea how to even do this. Luckily for me, I had other authors to help and a son that is computer savvy. A skill I lack. If I didn’t have to promote I would be happy to just write. After 40 in 45 months, I think that part of this journey has gone well and I love the amazing reviews I have received.

5. If money was no object and you could travel to any place in the world for your dream vacation where would you go and what would you do?

I have two places I would love to see, first Ireland and then Australia. Both places seem to me to be fascinating and rich with scenery. I would love to sit and write books in either place. I think the scenery in the books makes the story interesting. I am lucky to live in North West Montana filled with Lakes, Trees and Mountains and use the landscape in a lot of the books. I also have lived in Utah and Idaho and add those locations in a few. In the book “Tunnels”, the group travels down a highway from Montana to Idaho, a road I have traveled often. In the book “Mystic Valley” the location is a place in Utah I know the government did a lot of hiding of secrets. So, I used that location to set up the sci-fi conspiracy. In “At Hidden Lake”, I used Montana because I watched a TV special about how Hitler may have hid gold and treasure near Glacier Park, Montana, where I live.

6. Tell us about your publishing experience. Did you always intend to be traditionally published or indie published?

I thought about traditional publishing, but because I write books so quickly, I decided to indie publish. It seems to be the best for me. If I had to wait for a traditional publisher to get back to me, I would probably still be on book one and my nerves would be shot.

I am just blessed to have great readers who will read one book, like it, and then go back for another. That is such a compliment and repeat readers have a special place in my heart. I have been very lucky with reviewers. With over 360 reviews, only 4 have been below a three. Five have been threes, and the rest four and five stars, that is awesome and inspiring.  If readers would like to see the 40 books, they can find them on Amazon

You can find Pamela Winn at Goodreads  Amazon Author Page 

 

A gift was passed down from her grandmother, all her life Andrea Moore has been able to see spirits. Now, her grandma has passed on, but Andi still talks to her. When Deputy Vaughn Walker asks Andi to help solve the mystery of four women who have disappeared, Vaughn, Andi and her friend Nate are going to find those from the other side influence this life and some spirits are pure evil. They also find themselves in the middle of the epic battle of good versus evil.

Buy it here:  Amazon 

 Paperback available at Barnes and Noble 

 

 

Sunday Showcase: Paranormal Romance Author Maggie Anderson

1. What inspired you to write in your genre?

When I was fourteen, our English teacher asked us to read Dracula for a review. As we’d read a couple of Shakespearean books prior, I thought it would be just another unenjoyable book that I couldn’t get my head around. I was WRONG! I was seduced by Bram Stoker’s unorthodox, charismatic character and have loved all things Vampire ever since.

2. If you write a series, how many books can your readers expect?

I do write a series. The Dark Legacy urban fantasy series. At this stage, I’m writing book four and my continue to write more because I love the characters, but I’m taking a break after this book to focus on others I’ve had simmering in my head for a while now.

3. If you had the chance to spend the day with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

If I had a chance to spend a day with one of my characters it would have to be Reece Daniels. He stepped up and took over Dark Legacy, when Andre was meant to be the lead character, and has continued to stand out in all of the books so far. He has morals and believes in treating people right. He also has a lot of courage. Some of which he doesn’t even realize he has.

4. Are there any books or authors you admire?

I love the Alex Cross series of books by James Patterson. They tell a thrilling tale and pull you into the story. I also love the Addison Holmes series by Liliana Hart. They’re quirky and Addison is a likeable, amusing character with a certain amount of bravado when she needs it.

5. What is one of the biggest misconceptions that you think people have about authors in general?

I think people tend to think authors have it easy and make a lot of money from their writing. Some do, yes. The lucky ones. But most of us are doing our best to get our books into the hands of readers and not able to make a living from what we love the most. Being an indie author is hard-going. People think writing is a hobby. I’ve had friends say that to me. It’s not! It’s long hours of researching, writing, promoting, marketing, social networking and more!

6. If money was no object and you could travel to any place in the world for your dream vacation where would you go and what would you do?

I’ve always wanted to visit Machu Picchu. To be able to stand on the landscape of a village thousands of years old would be incredible! I think it would be a spiritual journey, a place to connect with your inner self.

Maggie is the author of several books:

Dark Legacy
Once Bitten
Soul Chaser
Driving Me Crazy
Love's Twist of Fate
A Night of Passion
A Night of Passion: Clean Romance Edition

Her newest release is Soul Chaser, Bk 3 in the Dark Legacy series.

 

In the city that never sleeps, a gypsy has seen Reece’s future. Someone he loves will die!

A romantic Vegas getaway turns into another paranormal nightmare for Reece when Charlotte is kidnapped from the airport. Who has taken her and why?

The PI and his team work around the clock. Time is ticking. Sent on a wild goose chase across Sin City by the unknown assailant, can they find her? Is the unidentified body of a Jane Doe lying in the County Coroner’s Office Charlotte? Are they already too late?

A series of unorthodox deaths forces Sheriff Lozano to enlist Reece’s help. He’s heard rumors about the private investigator and wants to find out if they’re true. Can they work together to solve the mystery of the murders? Will Reece let the sheriff in on what has happened to his fiancée?

As the two cases collide, Reece takes matters into his own hands and enters the subterranean world beneath Las Vegas alone. What has he discovered? And what ancient evil is he hunting?

 

EXTRACT

 

The dark tunnel seemed endless as Reece raced along it, peering over his shoulder wondering if the creatures were still in hot pursuit. He had to find a place to hide until the sun came up. The stark white beam of his flashlight app bobbed against the graffitied walls as he ran, but within seconds the glow faded, flickered and died, leaving him in total pitch black. Reece lurched to a stop and smacked his phone against his hand hoping it would jolt a few more seconds of life into the battery. It didn’t. “Shit!”

His heart rose in his throat and he sucked in a strangled breath, unable to inhale a full ribcage of air. The claustrophobic atmosphere was thick around him and he felt like he was suffocating. How did they find me so fast? He thought he’d have more time.

Manic laughter resonated out of the deep shadows in the underground drains and Reece’s eyes darted around the gloom. They were almost on top of him.

He broke into a panicked run, stumbling over broken concrete, cans, bottles and other rubbish strewn along the fetid, damp passage. He tripped on something soft and landed on top of it, the small amount of oxygen he’d managed to inhale whooshing out of him with the heavy thud. Feeling around, unable to see, and his brain making the connection, Reece felt buttons, material, a hand, a face… a sticky wet crater where the nose had been. Another face… holes where the eyes should have been. Bodies!

Bile gushed up his throat and he staggered to his feet, his heart beating so fast it felt like butterfly wings against his ribs. He spat the bitter liquid onto the ground and rushed into the shadows. He had to find a way out or somewhere to hide before they reached him or he’d be another rotting corpse amongst the body count. 

Want to read more?  Here's where you can find it:

Amazon (US)  Amazon (UK)  Amazon (AU)  Amazon (CA)  iBooks  Smashwords 

UK/Australian Spelling vs American

When you read a book, do you pay particular attention to the spelling? Does it bother you that some words seem misspelt? 

And how do you know they are? Depending on which English-speaking nation you're from, you're bound to come across variations in spelling, and even terminology. If, like me, you're used to Oxford spelling (as used in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada) you'd have noticed nothing odd about the word I used in the 2nd sentence. But to anyone from the USA, it looks like an error.

Too often, I've seen authors unjustly criticised (me among them), and receiving low stars in reviews based on the reader's ignorance of cultural variations in spelling and terminology.  

It's annoying and frustrating, let alone unfair. 

I've even gone as far as adding a statement on my Amazon book page explaining my use of AUSTRALIAN spelling and grammar (which is essentially OXFORD standard). Sad but necessary.

Believe it or not, there are countries in the world that do not use the Webster's dictionary. 

I believe it's time we corrected this ignorance and embrace our differences.

Check out the list I've gathered showing the spelling differences between only a handful of words. Others, some of which I included, are those where "z" is used instead of "s" and "l" rather than "ll" and the omission of the letter "u" (they're in the list).   

So next time you come across, what you think is a misspelled or wrong word, check again. It might be you who's wrong.

UK/AU - USA

aeroplane – airplane

ageing – aging

arse – ass

autumn – fall

barrister – attorney

bill (restaurant) – check

bookshop – bookstore

biscuit – cookie

bum bag – fanny pack

caravan – trailer

centre – center

cheque (bank) – check

chemist’s shop – drugstore, pharmacy

chips – fries, French fries

cinema – movies

coffin – casket

colour – color

cozzie – swimsuit

criticise – critize

draught – draft

favourite – favorite

flat – apartment

petrol station – gas station

jam – jelly

jewellery – jewelry

lift – elevator

mobile – cell phone

motorway – expressway

mum – mom

pavement – sidewalk

petrol – gas/gasoline

pimple – zit

postbox – mailbox

programme – program

pyjamas – pajamas

rubbish – garbage, trash

scone – biscuit

solicitor – lawyer

sweets/lollies – candy

taxi – cab
wardrobe – closet

Westfield (shopping centre) - mall

Those who've read my books will recognise some of the words in the list.

Happy reading 😊

4 Things I Learnt from Attending Supanova - A Pop Culture Expo

Let me start by saying that Supanova was amazing! Having never attended a pop culture expo before,  I had no idea what to expect, nor whether a dark urban fantasy author like me would fit in. After all, Supanova is for afficionados of comic book heroes, epic fantasy and sci-fi TV shows and movies, and gamers. Cosplayers strut around in the most incredible costumes, posing for fan photos, demonstrating their skills and taking part in re-enactments.
It's a theatrical parade and somewhere in-between are the illustrators and the authors.
So I'm happy to say, that I fit right in.

Apart from the spectacle, and the fun, what did I learn?

1. Readers attend these events to buy books, particularly paperbacks. 

As I've heard many times, most people enjoy the feel of a book and they're willing to spend their money on a series rather than on a stand-alone. I sold eleven box sets over the Supanova weekend. For a mid-list author like me, that's excellent.
Now, not having a physical box cover into which I could slot my books, I had to get creative. A pretty purple ribbon and Dantonville pen did the trick. Offering the box-set at a sizeable discount and throwing in a gift or two, proved even better.

2. Include giveaways.
Never underestimate the power of a gift. Everyone loves free merchandise, and for the occasion I'd ordered some personalised pens and a dozen mugs displaying the Dantonville logo. Then I made a range of different-coloured charm bracelets and blood-vial pendants. Excuse the pun, but they worked a charm!

3. Hand out as many business cards as you can.
Everyone who receives a card is a potential new reader and future fan. Yay! Can never have enough of them.
Keep the cards front and centre where people can easily pick them up. I included my website, Facebook author page and twitter handle on the front rather than on the back of the card, where people rarely look.
Over the next three days, I noticed an increase in the humber of visits and likes to my Facebook page, and sales of the ebook version of my books - on Amazon AU - rose as well.
Proves that people are interested. They wouldn't take a card if they weren't.

4. Not everyone is interested in signing up to a newsletter.
Many people either ignored the newsletter sheet, or were reluctant to sign up when asked. And I don't blame them. I'm an unknown quantity, and who wants to receive more spam in the email? That's why I prefer to hand out business cards. It gives people the chance to check out my website, peruse my books and decide whether they'd want to be on my mailing list, so when they do sign up, it's genuine.

Will I attend Supanova next year? Not sure. It's a lot of work setting up and dismantling, but I introduced my series to a whole bunch of new readers. That alone made it worth it. Did I make a profit? No, but I wasn't expecting to. It was nice to break even, though. Supanova was my opportunity to reach a new - and local - audience, and it worked.