Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Science Fiction Anthology Open for Submissions

“FAR ORBIT: APOGEE”
OPENS TO SUBMISSIONS

Alpena, MI (December 31, 2014) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced the anthology Far Orbit: Apogee, the second volume of the science fiction adventure series edited byBascomb James, will be open to submissions January 1 – March 31, 2015.

Praise for Far Orbit: Speculative Space Adventures:

Far Orbit is definitely a spectacular sci-fi anthology that is sure to entertain readers and keep them coming back for more. This is definitely one anthology that no sci-fi library should be without!”
— Night Owl Reviews(Five Stars)

“Successfully captures the kinds of stories that were the gateway drugs for many of us who have been reading science fiction for a long time. Well done!”
Tangent

“Put aside all of your preconceived notions of what 'sci-fi' is — whether you think you love it or hate, it doesn't matter — pick up this book and get to reading!"
— Good Choice Reading
World Weaver Press is looking for modern space adventures crafted in the Grand Tradition to be included in the second volume of the acclaimed Far Orbit science fiction adventure series. Editor Bascomb James is seeking stories that establish a new tradition in the much maligned sci-fi adventure genera -- smart, modern stories built around the classic traditions; stories that are creative, readable, and memorable; midnight indulgences; exciting stories that transport you from the everyday grind and leave you wondrously satisfied.
For full submission guidelines and details, visit:http://www.worldweaverpress.com/submit-anthologies.html
Bascomb James is a clinical virologist, author, and editor who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He has authored a hat-full of scientific papers, authored or edited four scientific textbooks, contributed numerous textbook chapters, and presented countless scientific lectures and workshops. A science fiction fan since childhood, Bascomb credits his interest in science, engineering, and invention to the sci-fi stories he read as a child. Stories matter. They shape our lives, expectations, and dreams. They are the warp and weave of our human existence, binding us into a fabric far stronger than any individual element.
World Weaver Press is an independently owned publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. We believe in great storytelling.

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Spotlight: The Kandide Books



What if everything you love is suddenly gone?

And everything you fear is all you have?

Welcome to Calabiyau. Still a teen in human years, Kandide is the personification of perfection. She is also spoiled beyond belief and vain beyond control. You won’t like her when you first meet her. Nevertheless, she is heir to Calabiyau’s throne and the keeper of the “Gift”—the key to the survival for all Fée.

When a terrible accident leaves her less than perfect, her own mother mercilessly sends her to a treacherous land where strange beasts roam the dark lifeless forest, and even stranger Fée rule its secret kingdom. If she is to survive, Kandide must battle terrifying creatures, as well as her own internal repulsion for the ‘Imperfects’ she is now like. But that is just the beginning of her troubles. Within Calabiyau a presence far more deadly is emerging.

Kandide’s prankster brother, Teren, her tomboy sister, Tara, and a group of misfit Imperfects set off on a perilous journey to save their sister and their land. They must challenge the darkest of forces to face an evil far worse than ever imagined. Calaiyau is forever changed. Or is it?


Kandide and The Lady's Revenge


Book Two is here at last!!!

Be warned. Beware. Enter this Kingdom only if you dare. 

Some days being Queen just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Having regained her throne—or so Kandide thinks—by thwarting the merciless Lady Aron, she is faced with even greater threats.

When Kandide’s sister, Tara, mysteriously disappears, her wannabe wizard brother, Teren, and an Imperfect named Jake set off on a perilous journey to find the Bardic Council. They hope to discover the secret to breaking the spell that holds Tara captive. What they learn is far more mysterious and treacherous.

While Teren and Jake try to survive, Kandide uncovers a plot by the Banshee nation to invade Calabiyau. Her army is outnumbered three to one. Convinced that her own Council members are involved in this treachery, she finds herself in a desperate struggle of magic and might that could cost both her kingdom and her sister's life.


Author Bio:
Like her best selling fantasy adventure novel, Kandide and the Secret of the Mists,  Diana s role in the performing arts, as well as the business world, transcends the ordinary. She has been a performer, author, and entrepreneur since she was eight. With a capital outlay of 47 cents, Diana parlayed one small magic trick into a 25-year career as the "World's Foremost Lady Magician.  
She moved to Los Angles from Phoenix when she was 18 years old with just $45.00 to her name. It was rough start, but her ambition, drive, and talent eventually won out. Diana toured the world, starred in her own television show, Enchanted Palace, as well as her own magical revue at Harrahs in Lake Tahoe. She appeared in Las Vegas, on virtually every major TV talk and variety show, and became a much sought after corporate spokesperson for dozens of companies as diverse as IBM, RCA, Ore Ida Potatoes, and the Avocado Advisory Board. She also became known for motivational speaking, garnering standing ovation after standing ovation at corporate events.
In addition to her illustrious career as a magician, Diana has invented magic illusions that are performed by Criss Angel, David Copperfield, Lance Burton, and magic's newest sensation, Collins Key, and so many others. With the help legendary actor Cary Grant, she founded (and still sponsors) a youth group at Hollywood s famous Magic Castle. Diana remains a highly respected lecturer, mentor and teacher in this field, having mentored two world champions.
Her transition from being a performer to the corporate world saw the creation of CMS Communications, Intl. a marketing communicatis Educational Foundation, Inc. and the international non-profit foundation MagicCares"!. Among her numerous awards--in and out of business--she was an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalist; two-time Los Angeles Business Journal Woman of the Year nominee; and has received both a Lifetime Achievement and a Special Fellowships from the Academy of Magical Arts. A much sought after speaker for businesses on Brand Strategy, as well as at schools for her Novel Approach To End Bullying, she has spoken to dozens of companies; over 40,000 school kids across the U.S.; and was a recent featured presenter at the Wharton School of Business Women's Conference.
But writing, speaking, business, and kids are not her only passions. Diana is just as committed to animal rights. She is a supporter of multiple animal organizations including Last Chance for Animals and D.E.L.T.A. Rescue. I believe that no creature two, four, or no-legged should suffer because of me,  she says, and for that reason is a vegetarian. When you ask her what the future holds, she smiles and says, There are so many kids and animals that need help. Even if we each help just one, we can make a huge difference.  
Diana also collects antique faery art. Her collection includes bronzes, paintings, and porcelains dating back to the 1700s, and is one of the largest in the world. To say that her life transcends the ordinary is perhaps an understatement. Like Kandide, it is nothing short of magical.
@Kandidechronicles on Instagram

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Spotlight: Kayne - Crown of Dominion

Blurb:


The time has come for Prince Kayne to embark on his pilgrimage in preparation for ascending to the throne. The only heir to Methuselah and the three worlds under its rule, he must prove himself worthy of the crown.

He stumbles upon a lost island that hides a secret. Forbidden by law to visit, Kayne and his men are pursued by the Regent's Holy Guard. His fate lies in the hands of an Elemental caster and a young Ranger - both from worlds conquered by Methuselah.

Author Bio:
Adrian Juhl is a writer of fantasy fiction. He is a member of the New Zealand Society of Authors, and is currently working on a series of free, short stories in the lead up to the release of his novels.

His current short stories, "Kayne - Crown of Dominion" and "Dalynia-Nature's Slaughter", are available at Smashwords, Amazon, Lulu and now, GooglePlay for mobile devices.

The Drift Worlds novels are scheduled for release in 2016, with two books already in edit. The storylines in them take place after his short stories.

Adrian started writing in 2013. He keeps the reader's attention with continual action, and ever-evolving plot twists that can be discussed and debated within the family.

His next project brings his readers to the Feral world of Ketu, and its race of humanoid/creature hybrids (due in the first quarter of 2015)

Smashwords
Lulu
Google Play
Amazon

Monday, December 29, 2014

Red Moon Romance: Open for Submissions!

RED MOON ROMANCE
OPENS TO SUBMISSIONS

Alpena, MI (December 29, 2014) – Red Moon Romance (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief), the new imprint of World Weaver Press, will be open to unsolicited queries for novels, novellas, serialized fiction, and single author collections from January 1 – January 31, 2015.

With the beginning of 2015 and this open submissions period, Red Moon Romancealso welcomes three new assistant editors to the team:  Laura HarveyTrysh Thompson, and Cori Vidae. You can read about the many different kinds of romances they’re hoping to find at:http://www.redmoonromance.com/meet-the-editors.

For full submission guidelines and details, visit:http://www.redmoonromance.com/submit.

Laura Harvey is an editor, writer, bibliophile, horsewoman, historian, teacher, debate coach, nerd, DIY junkie, and occasional rescuer of kittens. She holds a BA, MA, and is ABD, making her an exceptional asset in Trivial Pursuit. She loves reading so much that all of her handbags share one crucial ability: fitting a standard paperback or Kindle. She lives in northern California with a menagerie of beasts (dogs, cats, horses, and family members).

Trysh Thompson is a technical writer by day and by night, she’s a superhero who goes by the name “Mom.” In the past, she was a journalist and a movie critic for a small paper (yes, Virginia, they do still exist). For fun, she watches anything with Gordon Ramsay, writes, reads, and tries desperately to sing (alas, the tone-deaf fairy visited her early in life). A die-hard Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan, careful what you say around her in March.

From cover model to author, Cori Vidae has performed many roles in the creation of erotic titles but this is her first time wearing an editor hat for this genre. Be gentle with her. Or don’t. That can be fun too. corividae.com

Red Moon believes in sexy romance. We believe reading should be fun. We believe that at their core, romances are relationship stories, and that erotic romances are relationship stories with orgasms in them, not stories about orgasms. We believe our readers deserve whatever fiction incites their passions. We believe that a woman should never be judged or shamed for what she reads. We believe in giving a woman what she wants. Hot romance, it's what we do.


World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. We believe in great storytelling.

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Spotlight: Our Wild and Precious Lives

Blurb:

In 1960 Cold War Germany, Tom and Melly McCarron, teenage Army brats, contend with adolescence on a small American base near Bavaria, where their father, a decorated war veteran, begins a three-year tour of duty. As tensions in Berlin rise between the Allies and the Soviets, and threaten to bring about World War III, the base teenagers forge bonds of loyalty and love stronger than any of the adults understand. 

Leaving New York on a night flight to Germany, the quiet, thoughtful Tom, and feisty, emotional Melly, are apprehensive about life in a foreign land. While they will attend the American high school in Würzburg, brother and sister realize they are the only stability each has had in their young lives. They also leave behind the sole adult they came to trust, their Aunt Deeny, a librarian who introduced them long ago to a way to cope with life's ups and downs—reading and books. 

Confronting the overwhelming challenges of making new friends, adjusting to a foreign environment, and enrolling in yet another school, they also must endure their abusive father and moody war bride mother. But they are not fully aware of how their father's wartime experiences and sacrifices have left him scarred. Relying on their inner strength and resilience, they navigate the boundaries of military dependents—American teenagers with the same needs, yearnings and heartbreak as any of their generation.

Our Wild and Precious Lives on Amazon

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Guest Post: Ashley Nixon

I always want to write something noble--change someone’s life. I had some goals when I started publishing my books they included things like becoming an NYT Bestseller, getting to meet my fans, inspiring others to write. Sometimes I want those things so desperately, I can’t see anything else in life, even when my dreams are coming true right under my nose.
There are a few times when I would look at the big picture--the picture that's always in my head of success, and start getting discouraged and sad. Then one night, I thought of what I had asked for. I'd said "I want my book published." It is published. I’d said “I just want people to love my book.” And people do love my book.  I'd said "I want to inspire people to write." And that very day, a blogger had reviewed my book and told me my book made them want to write.

These things are so significant. And I could have lost them, looked over them in favor of my grand idea of what success looks like. But what I have is success. It's my success and it is beautiful.


I have to remember this often, so I can keep going forward. My dreams have come true in so many wonderful ways. I can't wait to see what else I've asked for come true. I would advise, that any time you’re starting on the path to your dream, write down those moments, those ‘victories’ as I call them. You’ll need them at some point, when things get hard. Because they will. But what matters is that you keep going forward.


About Cutlass:


Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy's fiancé seems a perfect plan…until he actually does it.

Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard.

But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task—to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient. 


Amazon

Goodreads

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Blog Tour Stop: The Boy Who Couldn't Cry Wolf

Guest Post:
How to get your child interested in reading

Thanks for having me!
Today I want to write about getting your child interested in reading. Some children are voracious 

readers. Whether they’re on the playground or at the dinner table, they always seem to have a book in their hands. Other children are the opposite. It seems to take a combination of bribery and pleading just to get them to consider reading a book.
The key to getting your child to be an active reader is to find books that interest your child. But how does one do that? A great starting place is to look at the kinds of activities your child likes to do in his or her free time. Does she like to play soccer and pretend to adventure in the backyard? Perhaps she’ll enjoy a Pelé biography or a book where the characters explore a new world. Does he like drawing animals and playing video games with puzzles? Perhaps he’ll enjoy a book with an aardvark as the main characters or a mystery book where the characters solve crimes with logic.
There is also the possibility that your child will be interested in a topic that he or she has not been exposed to yet. This is why it’s important to go to a bookstore or library and browse the shelves with your child. Your daughter may not have learned about satellites in school yet, but the second she sees a book on Sputnik 1, she knows she wants to read it.
We are fortunate to live in an age when there are a variety of online resources for helping you find books that will interest your child. James Patterson’s website, http://www.readkiddoread.com/, has book lists organized by age and content, such as real-world fiction and action/adventure. Another website, http://guysread.com, spring-boards off data from the U.S. Department of Education indicating that boys have scored worse than girls on reading tests for the past thirty years and offers recommendations to address the challenges of getting young boys interested in reading.

Regardless of the reading level of your child, with patience, dedication, and the use of available resources, you can get your child interested in reading.

SYNOPSIS

Six-year-old Byron Woodward is a werewolf who can’t howl. Determined not to embarrass himself after being chosen to lead a full-moon ceremony, he embarks on a mission to learn how to howl. He learns a lot about howling during his journey, but more importantly, he learns a valuable lesson about believing in himself.


Where to Purchase The Boy Who Couldn't Cry Wolf

Amazon - Kindle
Amazon - Paperback
Barnes & Noble

*
Borrow free with Kindle Unlimited & Amazon Prime*


THE AUTHOR
Caldric's Website /  Twitter Goodreads / Facebook 

Caldric Blackwell realized he loved reading when he read about a bunch of people (with single-syllable names) and their pets (also with single-syllable names) in kindergarten.

Exposure to a host of great authors while studying at the University of California, Santa Barbara inspired him to begin writing fiction. Although he began writing short stories for adults, he eventually migrated to writing children's books. His debut work is an early chapter book titled The Enchanted River Race. His next release is a picture book, The Boy Who Couldn't Cry Wolf.

Outside of writing, Caldric enjoys hiking, gardening, and playing a variety of string instruments. Caldric currently resides in California.