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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Press release: Far Orbit


“FAR ORBIT”
SPECULATIVE SPACE ADVENTURES


Alpena, MI (January 29, 2014– World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced Far Orbit: Speculative Space Adventures, a new anthology of modern space adventures edited by Bascomb James, will be available in trade paperback and ebook Tuesday, April 29, 2014.
Modern space adventures crafted by a new generation of Grand Tradition science fiction writers. Smart, readable, and engaging stories that take us back to a time when science fiction was fun and informative, pithy and piquant—when speculative fiction transported us from the everyday grind and left us wondrously satisfied. Showcasing the breadth of Grand Tradition stories, from 1940s-style pulp to realistic hard SF, from noir and horror SF to spaceships, alien uplift, and action-adventure motifs, Far Orbit’s diversity of Grand Tradition stories makes it easy for every SF fan to find a favorite.
Featuring an open letter to SF by Elizabeth Bear and stories from Gregory Benford, Tracy Canfield, Eric Choi, Barbara Davies, Jakob Drud, Julie Frost,David Wesley Hill, K. G. Jewell, Sam Kepfield, Kat Otis, Jonathan Shipley, Wendy Sparrow, and Pete Wood.
Far Orbit: Speculative Space Adventures will be available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers. You can also find Far Orbit on Goodreads.

World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to publish books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

Publication Date: April 29, 2014 • Science Fiction / Space Opera

ISBN: 978-0615959245

Publicity/Reviews: publicity@worldweaverpress.com

Information:

Monday, January 27, 2014

Excerpt: Thimble Down

Thimble Down, by Pete Prown, is a fantasy adventure novel, written to challenge and engage young adults ages 10 to 18.  The book is recommended for readers who enjoy The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Wind in the Willows, Redwall, Artemis Fowl, and other timeless tales set in landscapes and cultures that bring to mind England, Ireland, Scotland, and the British Isles. 

Thimble Down is a country village where death and malice lurk the quiet lanes. When the vile, drunken Bing Rumple acquires a gem-laden treasure, violence begins to follow him everywhere. Where did Bing find such a precious jewel, and worse, is someone willing to kill to possess it? In this fast-paced adventure, the village bookmaster, Mr. Dorro, and his young companions Wyll Underfoot and Cheeryup Tunbridge are in a desperate race to find the answer—before death comes to Thimble Down.

Thimble Down is the first book in the “Chronicles of Dorro” young adult mystery series, which follows Dorro, Wyll, and Cheeryup, on their exciting, but dangerous, mystery adventures. 

Amazon reviews:

“A fun read. Choose your favorite chair and settle down for a lighthearted, fast-paced tale of thievery and intrigue in the faraway and long ago village of Thimble Down. You’ll meet some unlikely heroes among the town’s inhabitants, the “Halflings,” who love a good mystery almost–but not quite–as much as they enjoy their creature comforts. This book is part mystery and part fantasy with a tasty smattering of cooking, gardening, and fishing tips thrown in. Enjoy!”

“Perfect for the tween in your life. Ordered this book for my twin, 12 y/o nephews for Christmas and they both devoured it. Can’t wait for the next one!”

Thimble Down is available on  


Pete Prown is a noted American writer of Young Adult fantasy books, as well as a magazine and book editor, and journalist. He’s written both fiction and non-fiction books, including THIMBLE DOWN and a series of instructional titles about guitars. Also a talented musician and recording artist, his Guitar Garden music is available on CDBaby.com and iTunes. For more information, go to http://peteprown.com/




Excerpt from Thimble Down
by Pete Prown

The next morning, Bing Rumple was in full stride. He’d been walking in and out of shops, a chop house, pony stables, and many of the other burrows and houses that composed the center of Thimble Down, bragging about his exploits in the east. With his brother Farroot and Bill Thistle following him like a pair of leering weasels, Bing was enjoying his moment in the sun.
“How do you kill a ferocious goblin?” A youngling had just asked him this very question, and now he was preparing a grandly entertaining response. “Why, you can do it many ways, my boy-o,” he said in a tough voice, but trying to stifle a grin. “You can stick him in the throat with an arrow at fifty paces, or sneak up from behind and garrote the bugger with a sturdy piece of rope. Me, I generally just cut ‘em to pieces with this elvish saber. Look!” he said, drawing the glimmering blade out of his scabbard, “you can even see bits of dried, black goblin blood, and burnt flesh in the crevices.” At this, the Halfling children screamed with a mix of fright and glee and ran off to tell their horrified mothers. Bing and his pals roared with laughter.
As he expected, most people in Thimble Down had never even seen a goblin or troll up close. “What do they look like? Do they have bloody fangs?” asked young Tom Talbo, quivering with delight. Bing seemed to think for a moment before replying, “Oh course they do, young sir. And they have large bulbous eyes, thick grey-green or black skin covered with festering sores, long muscled arms, and meaty hands with claws on the end. They are fearsome to be sure, and if you get too close, they can shred yer intestines in a mere flash.” Bing embellished his tale each time someone asked. He’d never been a celebrity before, and he rather liked it.
“The worst of it was when me ‘n’ the lads were trapped with an elfin hunting party, pinned down by about a hundred and fifty goblins that outnumbered us mightily,” he rambled on. “We were on the top of a small bluff with goblins and trolls all around us. The elves fought valiantly, but we saved the day. Let me tell you the whole story.”
Ya see, goblins hate fire, and by a stroke of fortune, the top of the bluff was covered with dry, dead brambles and bushes. So I braved a rain of goblin arrows and ran over to the elf chieftain. I said, ‘Toldir’—that was his name—‘go ask yer men to gather all the brush and big rocks possible, and arrange them on rim,’ I says. Of course, Toldir got pretty steamed at me for calling his warriors Men, because of course, elves ain’t Men and Men ain’t elves, if you reckon my meaning. But in the heat o’ battle, these things happen. Anyway, the elves did as I asked, and soon the entire edge of our bluff was ringed with brush and big boulders. I’ll hand it to them elves—they are strong and can move quick-like, especially in a pinch.”
“As a further stroke of luck, the elfin hunters had leatherskin bags filled with deer and musk oil from their recent kills, which we used to drench the brush. At Toldir’s command, the oil was lit afire, creating a massive inferno around the perimeter. I gave a shout of ‘Heave-ho!’ and we used sticks and logs to push the big rocks and flaming brush over the lip and down onto the enemy, who were stricken with terror. Those goblins that weren’t killed outright by the boulders and stones were hit with the flaming brambles and verily burst into flames. And any demons that escaped this hell were soundly stuck with deadly elvish arrows or, might I modestly say, by the edge of my sword as we charged down the hill to destroy the enemy. With the goblins either dead or in complete disarray, our troop was able to escape and rejoin the larger elf forces to fight another day.”
Huzzah! Hurrah for Bing!” applauded his audience. Bing, Farroot, and Bill tossed handfuls of pennies into the crowd to curry their favor even more, driving the children mad with joy. Still, some of the older Halflings at the edge of the crowd couldn’t put the image of the sniveling Bing Rumple of yester-year out of their minds. “How could that miserable excuse for a Halfling be such a hero?” they thought. But in general, the village folk were greatly entertained, and this was a great boon to local merchants who hadn’t seen crowds this big since the harvest festival of the previous year. Up and down the hard-packed dirt lanes in Thimble Down, sellers were bringing their wares into the open air, especially pies, cakes, and any variety of dried, candied meats on a stick, which only cost a penny or two and were gobbled down rapturously.
Many in the crowd were also ogling the gem-encrusted brooch pinned on Bing’s left breast. Indeed, more than a few secretly began to covet it. Among them was one Halfling who decided—at that very moment—to steal it.

Even if it meant someone had to die.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Press Release: Glamour


“GLAMOUR” / ANDREA JANES


Alpena, MI (January 23, 2014– World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) has announced Glamour by Andrea Janes, a new paranormal YA novel, will be available in trade paperback and ebook Tuesday, March 18, 2014.
Townie. That’s what eighteen-year-old Christina Sundy is. All year round she lives in a one-stoplight town on Cape Cod and when summer comes she spends her days scooping ice cream for rich tourists, who she hates. So when one of them takes a job in the ice cream shop alongside her, she’s pissed. Why does a blonde and perky Harvard-bound rich girl like Reese Manning want to scoop ice cream anyway?
Something else weird is happening to Christina: tiny blue sparks seem to be shooting off her fingers. It isn’t long before she realizes the truth about herself — she’s actually a powerful hereditary witch. But her newfound powers are too intense for her to handle and, in a moment of rage, she accidentally zaps Reese into another dimension.
So that no one will notice that the rich girl has disappeared, Christina casts a disguising spell, or “glamour,” and lives Reese’s life while she tries to find a retrieval spell. But as the retrieval spell proves harder than anticipated, and as she goes about living Reese’s life without anyone on the outside noticing the switch, Christina realizes that there’s nothing to stop her from making the glamour permanent… except, of course, her fellow witches, a 16th century demon, and, just maybe, her own conscience.
Glamour will be available in trade paperback and ebook via Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, Kobo.com, and other online retailers.

Andrea Janes writes horror, dark comedy, thrillers, and historical slapstick. She is the author of Boroughs of the Dead: New York City Ghost Stories. She is also a licensed NYC tour guide, and offers a variety of ghostly tours around the city. Her many obsessions include New York City history, old photographs, Mabel Normand, all things nautical, and beer. She maintains a personal blog over at Spinster Aunt, where she discusses these obsessions in more detail than is probably healthy.
World Weaver Press is a publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction, dedicated to producing quality works. As a small press, World Weaver seeks to publish books that engage the mind and ensnare the story-loving soul.

Publication Date: March 18, 2014 • Paranormal YA

Publicity/review requests: publicity@worldweaverpress.com

Information:

@worldweaver_wwp

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Review: Feeling Sorry for Celia

Title: Feeling Sorry For Celia
Author: Jaclyn Moriarty
Page Count: 276
My Rating: 4 TURTLES: A great read, I definitely recommend.

Synopsis:
Life is pretty complicated for Elizabeth Clarry. Her best friend Celia keeps disappearing, her absent father suddenly reappears, and her communication with her mother consists entirely of wacky notes left on the fridge. On top of everything else, because her English teacher wants to rekindle the "Joy of the Envelope," a Complete and Utter Stranger knows more about Elizabeth than anyone else.

But Elizabeth is on the verge of some major changes. She may lose her best friend, find a wonderful new friend, kiss the sexiest guy alive, and run in a marathon.
So much can happen in the time it takes to write a letter...

A #1 bestseller in Australia, this fabulous debut is a funny, touching, revealing story written entirely in the form of letters, messages, postcards and bizarre missives from imaginary organizations like The Cold Hard Truth Association.

Review:
I got this book for Christmas and was intrigued by the different style by which it was told. The story is told through a series of letters, faxes, and sticky notes, so Moriarty had to be very clever about how she structured her story. She had to make it so the reader would get the whole story, but have the letters seem real and not just there for the sake of filling in the story. I thought she did a wonderful job with this, and once I adjusted to the new format, I really enjoyed the originality!

The story tilts on the precipice of totally believable to totally ludicrous, and I don’t know why that works, but in this case it does. I think part of it is because the Elizabeth Clarry is a funny, strong, dynamic character who is grounded and keeps the story together with her humorous yet touching narration.

Feeling Sorry for Celia is a witty, poignant, original bildungsroman, but because many of the letters and notes are short it is also a very quick read. It is a wonderful read for anybody who enjoys YA contemporary fiction (and it takes place in Australia, which is super cool – I haven’t read many non-travel books in this genre that are centered outside of the US). I definitely recommend it!




Friday, January 10, 2014

Review: Palace of Spies

Title: Palace of Spies (Palace of Spies #1) (ARC edition)
Author: Sarah Zettel
Page Count: 368
My Rating: 3.5 TURTLES: A very enjoyable read, I recommend you check it out.
Publisher: HNH Books for Young Readers

Synopsis:
A warning to all young ladies of delicate breeding who wish to embark upon lives of adventure: Don't.

Sixteen-year-old Peggy is a well-bred orphan who is coerced into posing as a lady in waiting at the palace of King George I. Life is grand, until Peggy starts to suspect that the girl she's impersonating might have been murdered. Unless Peggy can discover the truth, she might be doomed to the same terrible fate. But in a court of shadows and intrigue, anyone could be a spy—perhaps even the handsome young artist with whom Peggy is falling in love...

History and mystery spark in this effervescent series debut.

Review:
Palace of Spies is another one of the books that I picked up at ALA this past summer. It is a fast-paced historical YA novel with a full cast of colorful side characters and a heroine who is full of pluck. I am not a scholar of the English nation at the time of King George I, so I cannot speak to its historical accuracy or plausibility, but I do know that it was a very entertaining novel.

Zettel did a great job describing the world of Peggy Fitzroy, I could really picture the fancy dresses, outrageous wigs, and intensive makeup that was commonplace at the time. I liked that the story is told in the first person of Peggy, who is very practical and witty, it added a lot of personality to the narration.

The reason I gave Palace of Spies 3.5 turtles and not higher is because, for whatever reason, I never really connected with the characters. Yes, the story is fun, witty, and action-packed, but the emotional investment never clicked in for me, the suspense that could have built due to Peggy and the other character’s constant danger was not there. This might have had something to do with the fact that the narration was past tense, so I was fairly sure that Peggy at least was in no mortal danger. It also may have been because the commentary was so witty that, while I knew the situation was dangerous, it never really registered.


While my socks were not knocked off, it was still very entertaining, with an adventurous plot and memorable characters. I was very happy with the ending because it tied up nicely, and there is definitely an opening for a sequel. I will be waiting to see what is next in store for Peggy Fitzroy.