Guest Post Hunted

About the Book

Title: Hunted: A Jonathan Harker Novel

Author: Christopher Draven

Genre: Paranormal Thriller / Urban Fantasy

Slinging Spells with Broken Ribs Isn’t Easy

Jonathan Harker, mage and life-long demon hunter, wakes to find himself tied to a chair and severely wounded. His captor, a demon in service to a summoner who wants Harker alive.

Armed with impossibly powerful magic and a gang of demon toughs, the summoner has snared Harker in a deadly trap. Nothing is ever easy, and being new in town has left Harker with few allies. However, with help from a Fortune-Teller named Clover and a self-described “Kitchen Witch” named Momma Dee, Harker fights back.

To prevail, Harker must walk unprepared into a pit of demons and black magic – and come out alive on the other side.

 

 

 

Author Bio

Christopher Draven has worked as an instructional designer, newspaper journalist, and ghost writer.

One soggy Monday morning, he committed to leaving behind the soul-stealing work of corporate puppetry and escaped to a meadow where he could concentrate on his passion. Since that fateful day, Christopher has focused on learning the craft of fiction.

 

 

Links

Amazon (Print)

Amazon (eBook)

Website

twitter: @writerdraven

email: info@christopherdraven.com

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Guest Post Ariella’s Escape

Guest Post

My editing process for this book was all about getting to know the characters and the world better. Although I plan my stories, I always leave lots of leeway for the characters to surprise me, which they inevitably do. The more I write, the more I discover who the characters are, what they want, and who they want to become.

In Ariella’s Escape, I added more color to the dialogue, little touches that really bring out characters’ personalities. For instance, in the scene where the heroes take shelter in a roadside inn, the innkeeper is a little bit snarky with the guards who are looking for the fugitives, but he’s very snarky and even cheeky in the final edit.

The same thing happened with the main characters. Some of their traits that had not been very noticeable turned out to be absolutely crucial to the story and to the central romantic relationship.

By the time I finished the first draft I realized just how disillusioned Ariella was with life and how Demetrius, on the contrary, was always trying to stay optimistic despite everything he had been through as a slave. I went back and added those little touches that would bring out their perspectives even more as well as the particular traits of this fantasy world, their beliefs in their gods and what that said about the characters.

So the following exchange was added in the final draft:

“Some people believe that the Spheres of Epheor the sky move with purpose, that the stars are gods looking down on us, others believe they’re merely the fires of lifeless realms. What do you believe?”

She frowned slightly, her gaze fixed on the fire. “I believe in the gods, but I think they’re cruel.”

Demetrius didn’t agree, despite everything he had endured. There had always been such a strong hope in his heart for freedom, and he had finally found it. But he did not want to pry, just as she had not pried into his secrets.

However, he hated the thought of such a young woman, so kind and noble, believing that life was essentially misfortune.

“There are so many stars in the sky,” he said, “When I was captured, I decided that among the thousands of stars, thousands of gods, there must be at least one that would shine its light on me… Maybe you are my lucky star.”

About the Book

Title: Ariella’s Escape

Author: Carolee Croft

Genre: Epic Fantasy Romance

Ariella had always believed that the life of a warrior should include indulging in wine and men whenever they were on offer… And in Chaldea, the capital of the old empire, they certainly were.

Especially the man she finds in her bedchamber, a slave provided by her hosts to entertain her in any way she wishes.

But when betrayed and surrounded by enemies in a strange land, there is only one man she can trust—the slave who was meant only for her pleasure but is much more than he seems.

Demetrius had been captured in a battle at the age of fifteen, and slavery was all he had known in his adult life. When his chance for freedom comes along, his fate is bound to the noble warrior maiden whose voice and body he cannot resist. Duty calls him to return to his kingdom, but the journey will take him places that will change him forever.

Together, they make their way through a den of thieves and an enchanted elf forest, but the biggest danger of all may be their fiery attraction to each other and the secret that will draw a dividing line between them.

 

 

Author Bio

Enchanted by romance on page and screen, I have always tried to write my own versions of the perfect fairytale. As for real life, I believe I may have already found the man of my dreams, but I still haven’t found the dog of my dreams. Currently, I’m obsessed with Italian greyhounds. I can usually be found enjoying the outdoors or relaxing with a good book on the west coast of Canada.

Connect with Carolee:

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Links

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Amazon UK

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Guest Post Those Who Are Left

Guest Post

Hello everyone!

I’m Josh Stricklin, which I have no doubt has already been stated somewhere in this post. I’m an author from Mississippi. I have a few books, and now I’ve taken my skills to the Internet. I have been asked to talk to the masses about my editing process. I know different has their very own, super-special way of making it work. Hey, I have done it differently every time.

I have two published books now, and while writing each of them I was in different places in my life. For my newest book, The King of Evil, a lot of the editing I did was the typical run-of-the-mill corrections, along with a lot of last-minute fact checking. The story was about voodoo, and I didn’t know much at all about it before I started writing. I spent a lot of time going back and making sure nothing was wonky with my information—other than the fictionalized parts I took special liberties with obviously.

For Those Who Are Left though, I was working on my first book. I didn’t know how to do it, and I was coming off a very serious injury that I have talked about ad nauseam in blogs and my website (thegreenroses.com).

I didn’t know how to edit. I just read and reread a bunch of times. That, of course, was a fun one to go back through. For a majority of the writing I was on painkillers, and my mind was swimming fairly often.

I sort of flailed around a lot during the editing process, but as for the story, I have found a pretty efficient way to edit.After I finish the initial run through. I take notes for all the major plot points and keep them by me as I go through the story again, checking for anything that my contradict something that comes up later in the book. For the book I’m working on now, that is especially important, because the narrative is told from multiple points of view. I know once I finish, I’ll be making comments about when each character discovers specific information and how a certain event changes each character. Keeping the notes on the story as I go through has been the best way for me to keep the story in order as I go. That’s something I’d suggest to people working on a book. Of course people have something that’ll work better for their individual books. This method has helped me a lot, and because I feel like the story is the most important part, I would tell people to at least give it a shot.

Thanks for reading!

About the Book

Title: Those Who Are Left

Author: Josh Stricklin

Genre: Horror

Thinking back to when everything changed, Derrick can never pinpoint if it was the pickaxe swinging toward his own face that alerted him or if he knew moments earlier when he saw the weapon hurtle toward the barn cat. Either way, he quickly realized that the man he was facing—a farm employee he knew well—was not only no longer a friend, he wasn’t even human any more.

An apocalyptic tale that surprises you with humor when it’s not terrifying you with horror, Those Who Are Left follows Derrick as he and two strangers venture through the major cities of the South in search of family and safety. But not all the human factions can be trusted, and if the trio can’t figure out what’s driving the different groups they could end up with enemies on all sides.

But even in a chaotic world of murderous screamers and posturing humans, there’s always time to play a few games of bowling before the slaughter begins…right?

Author Bio

Josh Stricklin is an American author and musician with degrees in English literature and advertising from the University of Southern Mississippi. His first novel, Those Who Are Left, made its debut in 2015. The terrifying follow up, The King of Evil, is available from Silver Leaf Books. He’s currently hard at work finishing his first series…or more likely reading comic books and wearing a Seahawks jersey.

 

Links

thegreenroses.com

https://www.facebook.com/thegreenroses/

https://twitter.com/ExplosionAction

https://www.instagram.com/explosionaction/

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Guest Post Against the Grain

I’m hosting a guest post today by Phil Williams, author of “Against the Grain”. Phil talks about the editing process today.

Guest Post: Editing Process

Each of my manuscripts are edited seven times. After the outline and first draft, I read my manuscript out loud to my wife, Denise. This allows me to catch awkward phrases and dialogue. Denise often chimes in with comments about characterization and grammar. I love to make her laugh, and I try not to be too deflated when she doesn’t. Her instant reactions give me invaluable feedback as to where I’m succeeding, and where I’m failing. Before I send it to my editors, I do one more read through on my own. My goal at this stage is to send them the best manuscript possible.

My editors: Fred Johnson, Carolyn Smailes, Gary Smailes, and Denise Barker of Bubblecow work their magic with a detailed structural edit. I receive feedback on pacing, plot, characterization, dialogue, descriptions, and a chapter by chapter summary. They do a fantastic job of pinpointing any problems, and offsetting that with positive feedback.

When Bubblecow returns my manuscript, it’s marked up with corrections and comments. I spend a few weeks fixing any problems, making corrections, and rewriting where necessary. I take my editor’s feedback seriously. I try to keep my ego in check, and follow their advice. After the initial edit and rewrites, I do another read aloud, and send it back to my editors for a proofread.

During the proofread, the manuscript is edited line-by-line for grammar, spelling, and sentence fluency. Again, I receive a marked-up manuscript that I have to read through and make corrections. At this point, I read through one final time, and the manuscript is ready for my formatter and cover artist. The entire process takes about five months.

Anyone with an internet connection can publish these days, giving all authors the opportunity to find an audience. I think it’s fair that readers decide the value of a book, not the publishers. A few years ago, indie publishing was synonymous with poor quality, but that’s changing. As a reader, I now have a tough time distinguishing between indie and traditionally published books. In my opinion, the main reason for the increase in quality is the help of an editor. With each novel or nonfiction book, I’m striving to improve as an author and a storyteller. A professional edit is crucial to the quality of my work and the development of my craft.

About the Book

Title: Against the Grain

Author: Phil Williams

Genre: Contemporary / Coming of Age / Political

A tyrannical high school principal.
A young anarchist with nothing left to lose.
One way or another, this place is goin’ down.

Matt Moyer is an orphaned teen growing up on a primitive farm in the Pennsylvania coal region. He’s homeschooled by his eccentric and philosophical great-uncle, who’s a stickler for logic, reason, and intellectual honesty. Despite his uncle’s reverence for veracity, inconsistencies arise regarding the old man’s shady past and the teen’s parents.

Through a harrowing sequence of events, Matt is forced to attend a public school. The feral teen finds it difficult to cope with the hypocrisy, propaganda, and misinformation that adults and children so readily accept. Faced with the possibility of expulsion, arrest, and ostracism, he must make a choice. Will he choose the easy lie or the hard truth?

Adult language and content.

Author Bio

Phil M. Williams is an author, activist, blogger, and consultant. He lives in Central Pennsylvania with his wife, Denise, where he writes and tends his permaculture farm. He is the author of Fire the Landscaper, Against the Grain, Stone Lake, and co-author of Farmer Phil’s Permaculture. His new releases can be read for free at PhilWBooks.com.

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Links

Website: http://www.philwbooks.com/

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