Spotlight: Grim Crush

Author name: S. L. Bynum

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press

Synopsis:

1. Do not interfere with someone’s death.

2. Do not become emotionally involved.

3. Do not show yourself to the living.

As a grim reaper, seventeen-year-old Xia has to follow these Rules. But when she meets Shilah, a Native American boy who can see reapers, she figures the rules don’t apply. To find out why he can see her, she pretends to be human, since carrying a scythe probably isn’t the latest teen craze. Things become unnerving as she begins experiencing first-time affection with Shilah, but she’s irreversibly drawn to him. Suddenly Xia finds herself breaking Rule Two, even while collecting dead souls behind Shilah’s back. It isn’t long before she is caught red-handed by the Angel of Death himself, and then not only is her relationship at risk, but also Shilah’s soul. And this leaves Xia wondering: can love overcome Death?

Grim Crush is only $0.99 for the rest of the year!

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Author Bio: S. L. Bynum knew she had a creative imagination as a kid, when she would make her beanie babies go on the craziest adventures. She fell in love with writing at the age of twelve. She realized she wanted a career as an author at the age of sixteen, and when she’s not working on that dream, she works in a clothing store. S. L. Bynum is twenty-five now and besides books, she loves desserts, fashion, dancing (when she’s alone), warm weather, and playing video games. She lives in Greensboro, North Carolina with her family. Grim Crush is her first novel.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterSLBynum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorSLBynum

Website: http://slbynum.wix.com/author

Guest Post: Sever Bronny

It started with soccer. Optimization, that is. I was eight and discovered all these neat tricks on how to move the ball quickly from foot to foot. I didn’t know it then, but that was a form of optimization. Years later, I’d use that for my music, my jobs, and eventually, my writing. There’s a thrill to doing something optimally. Optimization is a process, a series of moments that utilize everything you’ve learned up to that point, applying only the most crucial lessons.

When I was making music, I’d spend hours and hours reading instruction manuals. I wanted to understand the systemsI used so that I could squeeze every ounce of creativity out of them. You see, when I understood the system—whether it was a piano or a software engine—I was then able to harness my creativity without interruption.

That’s a good introduction to who I am, I suppose. I like optimization.

So yeah, I used to make music. And perform it, and design it, and optimize it. Spent almost four years on a full-length concept album titled The Orwellian Night. Had it mastered by arguably the best mastering engineer in the world for my genre (same dude that mastered Nine Inch Nails, Judas Priest, etc). If I were to die today, I could proudly say that was my opus. My masterpiece. My “work of art”. I did not “sell out” to the lowest common denominator. I had a good team around me and I made the record I wanted.

That was my third record, and by then, the whole touring thing and playing on stage thing and Myspace thing soured on me. Myspace, where I garnered half a million plays, died a 1929 stock market-like death anyway. One of my songs was in a feature film (The Gene Generation) by that point, so I was happy with the level of success my music had achieved. There’s no topping a record like The Orwellian Night anyway. Not now at least. Took everything out of me, that beast did. And the whole stage thing and the industry was too much about ego. It was tiring.

So I stopped. Abruptly. Dissolved the band and hung out at home, doing, essentially, nothing. For months. But I hungered to express the essence of being human: creativity. 

Then I remembered a dream. I used to write. I once started a book in my teens, but lost it in a hard drive crash. That was a harsh lesson. (Ironically, the idea of that book later turned into The Orwellian Night.) 

So I started writing again. Feverishly. I mean, I went it at like a man recently freed from prison seeing his first pastry. And the joy came. The simple and beautiful and absolute joy of creating. I wrote the book I wanted to read. The words flowed and flowed, a torrent of what I thought had to be genius.

Except it wasn’t. It was terrible. I didn’t know how to edit, how to write, how to frame a story, the works. And that’s when the engines of optimization kicked in. I started studying. I hit the books like a first-year med student. You should see my notes. Talk about minutiae. I read book after book on writing, editing, structure. I studied books on how things were put together. Harry Potter. Wuthering Heights. Anna Karenina. Dragonlance. I was a sponge.

Then the grand question came: how to get published? So I began reading about query letters, agents, the works. I was a bug trying to throw itself at a grand system that was old and rigid. I gathered over 200 rejections and lost over a year of my life to that process. What a damn waste.

I then began researching self-publishing. Learned from Hugh Howey and David Gaughran and other gentle giants of kboards. Spent two years doing that, just studying and writing, learning from every source I found. As self-publishers, we are each other’s mentors. It’s an open-source movement. 

So I did some learning, and maybe some partying. Work hard, play hard, right? Anyway, I finished three books in a series, and was working on the fourth, when I realized I just had to do it. I had to publish something. So after months of launch prep, cover design, blurb tweaking, formatting, ISBN and copyright acquisition, blah blah blah, I finally hit that publish button for Arcane.

And then something amazing happened. Two-and-a-half weeks in, the book hit three Amazon bestseller fantasy subgenre charts in the US and the UK. It ranked in the 5000’s in the entire kindle store, compromised of over a million titles.

And it happened the day before my launch party (this past Saturday actually). Much celebration ensued. None of us could believe it, least of all me. I was readying for a long slog, a five year haul to even approach the top 100 in my genre. Yet here we were, and it was only book one in the series.

The other day I opened up my success journal and a piece of paper fell out. It was a rejection letter. It said:

Dear Sever,

Thank you for your query, but I’m afraid this is going to be a pass for me. Your opening pages are well-written, but I didn’t get a young adult feel from the language. YA fantasy is a very tight market so I’m only able to take on projects I feel strongly about. I wish you luck in your future publishing efforts. 

Signed, a powerful agent.

Arcane charted in two children’s books categories and one teen books category. 

Arcane on Amazon

Author Profile on Amazon 
Goodreads

Author Website

About Arcane:
Warlocks before their time ...

Fourteen-year-old Augum and friends Bridget and Leera dream of becoming warlocks. But with a kingdom in total chaos, it will take courage, sacrifice, and an iron will to make that dream come true.The Lord of the Legion, a vicious tyrant, has overthrown the king in a relentless and murderous quest for seven mythic artifacts--and Augum's mentor, the legendary Anna Atticus Stone, possesses one. While Augum struggles with demons from a painful childhood, a betrayal puts him, his friends, and his mentor through a harrowing ordeal that threatens to destroy them all ... and change the course of history.

Arcane, the debut novel in the fantasy adventure series The Arinthian Line, follows three friends as they navigate an ancient abandoned castle, endure grueling training, challenge old mysteries, and learn that a bond forged in tragedy might just be the only thing to save them from a ruthless enemy.

BIOGRAPHY:
Sever Bronny is a musician and author living in Victoria, British Columbia. He has released three albums with his industrial-rock music project Tribal Machine, including the full-length concept album The Orwellian Night. One of his songs can be heard in the feature-length film The Gene Generation. Arcane is his first book.

A Reading Challenge for 2015

Marisa form Reading to Distraction will be hosting a reading challenge in the year of 2015. I'lll let her describe it in her own words, but if this sounds like something you'd be interested, please pop by her blog for more information!

"I recently came across the '22 Books You Should Read Now, Based On Your Childhood Favorites' article on BuzzFeed and loved reading through it.  I also had a moment of horror when I realized that I missed out (or can’t remember) some of these childhood classics.  As I read through, and kept adding to my 'to be read' list, I decided this would be a good reading challenge for 2015!  After all, 'A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest' - C.S. Lewis.

"The challenge will be to read the matching pairs of books and then to discuss!  This should be nice variety since it will alternate between quick reads and more in depth reads.  As a bonus, the books cover a wide spectrum of genres so there should be something for everyone.  This would be a fantastic family reading adventure as well.

"I will be reading all 22 pairs, but I am recommending folks to sign up for as many pairs as they think is reasonable for their schedule, whether that's one, six or a dozen.  I have individual discussion pages so there can be an ongoing discussion as folks read the book throughout the year."

Spotlight: The Unbelievable Story of How I Met Your Mother

Blurb:

Daniel Zurenski feels like a total loser, but he's about to encounter a crazy array of characters who are going to change his life forever. It starts with Fred Zimmerman (and his unique pet) who scrubs pots at The Spaghetti Barn restaurant and accidentally sets off a disastrous chain of events. There's the volatile restaurant manager Paolo and his greasy head chef nephew Tony. Then there's a fanatical sports reporter named Bruce Jagerski who dreams of winning a marathon if only he didn't have such a bizarre running style. All come together during marathon race weekend in this hilarious tale which will keep you guessing right to the finish line.

Additional info:

Genre – General/Contemporary Fiction - Humor
Word count: 15,000

Release date: July 15, 2013

Amazon Link

Author profile:

Preston Randall was born in Philadelphia but moved to Canada at an early age and currently resides in Victoria, British Columbia. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Biology he pursued an administrative career spanning thirty years, seven of which were spent in the Caribbean. Although always interested in creative writing, it wasn't until after returning to Canada in 2007 that he began to write creatively.

A dedicated distance runner, Preston has a personal best of 2:35 in the marathon and completed the Boston Marathon in a respectable 2:47. He now runs for fun and fitness and only competes in the marathon vicariously through the characters in his latest story.

Although known for his humorous characters and descriptions, many of Preston's stories include veiled and not-so-veiled messages regarding serious issues of the day.

Giveaway: Keepers of the Dawn

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About the book:

For two thousand years the Teeth have stood, three immense barriers of divine light rising high into the heavens, encircling the world, dividing it from Paradise. Like others of the Penitent world, Dreen and his telepathically impaired son, Bartu, cling to a dream. A dream that one day a savior will arrive to fell the imprisoning Teeth. Unlike others, however, their dream rests on more than mere faith. It rests on the promise of an artifact that came to their family centuries ago. A holy relic that is key to a future savior’s success.

To keep the relic safe, Dreen and Bartu must keep it secret. A task not easily accomplished in this world of telepaths. Making the task even more difficult is an obscure prophecy that foretells of the sacred artifact. A prophecy that Rue-A-Kai, the Destroyer, knows well. With the strength of a hundred wizards, the reincarnated savior of the Vile hordes imperils not only the Penitent kingdoms he now threatens to overrun, but also the promised arrival of a true future savior. Were the demonic Rue-A-Kai to acquire the holy relic, his perverse interpretation of prophecy would transform the relic from a device of deliverance to one of damnation, ensuring that the Teeth never fell, that the world never saw Paradise.

Yet the relic remains safely hidden, as it has for centuries. And there is no reason to believe it will not continue to remain so for centuries to come. No reason at all, that is, until the accident. . . .

Blog Tour Stop + Character Interview: Henge

Character Name: 

Merlin

Character Bio: 

Sixteen-year-old Merlin is extremely talented with magic and is a water user. Merlin is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven (king’s advisor) will be chosen.

Describe yourself.

I’m sixteen years old and I grew up in Wales. I am pretty ordinary except that I can use magic—water magic, specifically. I work very hard on my studies and magic and hope to be useful to the world when I’m an adult.

What’s something that you wish other people knew about you?

That I’m actually kind of shy. I’ve been told I talk a lot and seem friendly, but it’s actually very hard for me to summon the courage to ask someone to hang out and do something.

What do you fear the most? 

Being alone.

What do you want more than anything?

To have a family. I’ve led a solitary life and dream of being surrounded by loved ones.

What do you dislike the most?

Carelessness. I don’t understand why some people don’t always put their best foot forward. Every moment, you’re making an impression on someone, sometimes a first impression. Why not make it the best impression you can make? It’s never a bad thing to care. And if someone seems to be having a bad day, why not try to help? The more you care about the way you present yourself and the way you treat people, the more fulfilling life becomes.

Do you have a person you hate?

I don’t hate anybody. It’s a waste of emotional energy. What good will despising somebody do? Nothing. Hate just moves inward and stays there. It’s not a magic spell that will harm the person you despise. It harms only yourself.

What do you regret the most?

That I am too desperate to love—it caused me to make bad decisions at times.

What kind of person are you romantically attracted to?

Oh, well, that’s a tough question. I’m kind of figuring that out now. When I was a boy, I liked anybody that was pretty—shallow, I know. Now that I’m older I’m trying to understand what I’m really attracted to because there are many beautiful women in the world, but it’s rare to find someone you can really connect with and spend your life with. I can’t really answer that question honestly because it turns out that what I think I want contradicts who I have chosen to date in the past and who I have a crush on. I have basic ideas like I want someone classy and smart. Since I want a family, I imagine myself liking a really sweet and happy woman… but the young woman I have a crush on right now is not all that sweet or happy. She’s everything I thought I would never want. So I just don’t know. It’s the greatest mystery to me. I think I’ll be confused about this for a while.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

I wish I was more outgoing. Like I said, I talk a lot (as you probably noticed during this interview) if I’m conversing, but it’s not the same thing as being outgoing, because I spend so much time alone. Being outgoing to me means going out, calling people to chat, and have fun and hanging out with friends on my free time. It’s hard for me to reach out and become closer to people. It really is. Over a decade of solitude will do that to you, I suppose. I interact with many people every day, but I still feel like I’m trapped in a cave, still waiting to be found.

Book Blurb:
Inspired by one of the greatest legends of all time…

Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerous. And those who seek control are not to be trusted.

            Sixteen-year-old Morgan le Fay is a fire user. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary skill, she has the ability to create and command fire at will. Her dream is to become the Maven—the right hand of the future King Arthur. In the chance of a lifetime, Morgan is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven will be chosen.

            Along with the other fire, water, and wind users in Arthur’s Round, Morgan is rigorously trained and tested. The handsome Merlin, a brilliant water user, takes a particular interest in her. Is his friendship to be trusted, or is Merlin simply trying to win the position of Maven for himself? Among the many rivals Morgan faces is the current Maven, Mordred, who seems determined to see her fail.

            But Morgan has a secret—years ago, her mother was executed for using fire magic, and Morgan’s desire for justice makes her more than ready to take on the challenge before her. Can she prevail in Camelot’s tests of survival and magic? Only time—and Morgan’s powerful fire—will tell.

Realm Lovejoy’s modern Arthurian series features one of literature’s most complicated and powerful female figures. Henge is the first book in the LE FAY series, and—like Morgan le Fay’s magic—it is sure to dazzle and amaze. 

Author Bio:

Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book. You can find out more about her and her book at realmlovejoy.com

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