Guest Post Sean Hayden – and contest!

I would like to welcome Sean Hayden to my blog today. He’s touring for his new book (which I’ve read, and it rocks) and there’s a contest so stick around to the end for details.

GREETINGS AND SALUMATATIONS DENIZENS OF EARTH!

Just wanted to take a moment to thank the lovely Miss Campbell for the opportunity to overthrow the current government of her blog and use it to fulfill my ambitions of spreading the good word about my new book, My Soul to Keep. This is the third stop on the blog tour. I hope most of you have been following it faithfully and drooling on your cardigans, waiting for my next revelation. Well, I shan’t keep you in suspense any longer. You’re getting my boots wet.

So, for today’s stop, I thought I would talk a little bit about INSPIRATION. For those of you few select mortals who have read My Soul to Keep (Don’t worry, I’m keeping track. Those that have shall earn a special place in the new world order once I conquer the entire planet) are probably wondering where the heck I get my crazy story ideas. Well, I’ll tell you. I’m a little sick in the head.

If you’ve read the story, you know how it starts. If you haven’t, I’ll…um…tell you I guess. The story starts off with your average boy doing average things. Needless to say, he sustains an injury doing his algebra homework (Don’t laugh, it’s happened to me). A little blood on the desk, a #2 pencil, and a crazy idea that pops into his head, and boom…his life will NEVER be the same. He gets a crazy notion to scrawl a note in his own blood promising his soul in exchange for his fondest wish. He craps kittens when a Fallen (yes, fallen angel) comes do grant it. He wishes for the one thing they never expected anyone to ever wish for. He wishes to be one of the Fallen.

So where did I get the idea for this story? Television perhaps? HECK no. You see, the story for this one came from a nice big juicy cut on my arm. In my desperation to become a NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR, I actually considered scrawling a note in my blood promising my soul to make it happen (it didn’t work darn it. Just kidding. I didn’t really do it. Or did I? HAHAHAHA)

The one good thing that did come from the idea was this story. I hoe you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it!

 

SHWAG TIME!

Now we get to the fun part of the blog tour! Your chance to wind some awesome Sean Hayden Swag (SHWAG). All of it features…YOU GUESSED IT! The cover of MY SOUL TO KEEP! There’s a WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF FOR ONE LUCKY WINNER AND COPIES OF MSTK FOR SOME OF THE LOSERS! Here’s the DEETS!

CLICK THE PICTURE TO ENTER!

Contents include:

1 MSTK Tote, 1 MSTK Notebook, 1 MSTK Keychain, 1 MSTK T-shirt (size large),  1 MSTK Coffee Mug so you can enjoy tasty hot beverages in style…and…cue drum roll…are you ready…1 copy of My Soul to Keep. So what you say? Gasp. You don’t understand. This copy is in paperback. Not only that but its an AUTOGRAPHED ADVANCED READER COPY!!!!!!! Yes ladies and germs, you get the paperback before anyone else in the whole wide world!!!!!! That’s over a $125 value! Why? Cuz we wuv you.

 

Book Review: My Soul to Keep by Sean Hayden

My Soul to Keep (Rise of the Fallen)
by Sean Hayden.
Author’s Website: http://shaydenfl.wordpress.com/
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Keep-Rise-Fallen-ebook/dp/B0080N68AA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336360810&sr=8-1

Reviewer received this book in ARC form from the author.

Blurb:

A YA Paranormal Romance novel
Ever have one of those bad ideas just pop into your head? You know the ones. They seem like a great idea at the time, but if you had stopped to think about it a moment…
I’m talking about those ideas where you just seize the moment and do what your heart tells you to. Then, after the dust settles and you get bandaged up, your parents say, “What the hell were you thinking?”
“But, Dad, I wasn’t!”
I had one of those moments.
I guess if you want to be technical, I had a whole chain of those moments leading up to the big bang moment. The problem was I didn’t have anyone standing around saying, “What the hell were you thinking?”
The moral of this story?
There are several.
First, stores don’t sell black candles for a reason. They’re bad news. If you happen to come across one in the mall that sells questionable items…walk away. Trust me on this one. Black candles are bad.
Second, always know what you want out of life. Coasting along, not caring about anything will get you into trouble. Maybe more than you can handle.
Lastly, if someone offers to grant you your fondest wish, wish for something you really, truly want. Wish for something that will make the world a better place or you a better person. Never ever wish to be a monster…

Review by J. A. Campbell
Connor is a fairly typical teen. He loves video games and hates math, so what possesses him to make a wish, written in blood and burned over a black candle? Maybe the math homework drove him to it. Connor’s wish propels him into a world he had no idea existed and turns his ideas of who the good guys and bad guys are upside down. You might think the Fallen are demons and the Chosen are angels, which, mostly they are, but the angels aren’t necessarily the good guys and the demons aren’t necessarily the bad ones. Fallen, Clarisse befriends Connor and teaches him about his new powers (from his wish). A new girl, Jessica, moves to the area and seems to like him. Before, Connor couldn’t find a girl interested in him to save his life, now he has two beautiful girls hanging out with him, and crazy cool powers. Oh, and he gets his first, very unexpected kiss ever—what could go wrong?

This is a very fast paced story full of adventure, love, heartbreak, and strange powers. I really enjoyed Mr. Hayden’s clean writing and compelling characters. Connor is a very well told main character full of real teen insecurities and strengths. You really feel Connor’s emotions, are happy when he’s happy and torn up when he’s hurt. The story stands alone, but the ending hooks you in and leaves you anxious for the next book. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves YA Urban Fantasy with a nice touch of romance.

Into the West #6 Westward, Home!

Is now available

I will get my website updated this weekend, but until then you can go to this link and find all the places you can buy my Into the West novels. http://quakeme.wordpress.com/electric-shorts/into-the-west/

https://www.omnilit.com/product-westwardhome-788403-234.html

Guest Post – Katherine Gilraine

I want to welcome Katherine Gilraine to my blog today. I met her on facebook and she’s fabulous. Today she’s going to talk a little about the business of writing.

The Business of Writing

You may think that writers are everywhere. Maybe they are, or maybe they’re not, but considering that the Internet has us reading a lot more than before, people are a lot more aware of the presence of writers. The e-readers have raised that awareness even more. And the number-one question I hear from readers, personally, as a writer is, “How do you just… do that? How do you just…write?”

Well, why do we, the writers, do what we do? The best answer I can give is this: we have a story to tell. We have something to say, whether or not it’s fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or just a simple op-ed, and the words of what we need to let out of our systems do that much better on paper, or on a screen. If the story needs to be let out, let out it will be. And of course, some stories are longer than others, which is why people can crank out one book after the next.

Now, this brings me to the second thing I hear the most, which is an invariable turn of, “It must be so easy for you!”

No. It is not. Why? Because above a passion, a calling, and a creative outlet, above everything else, writing is work. It’s a career path. It is a business, and needs to be treated as such.

Considering that writers receive payment only when people purchase their product, which is whatever story they have published, the writer needs two things: continuing royalty sales, and continuing release of product. Read: keep writing, and keep writing to sell. This effectively puts the writer in the position of being “on the clock” nearly 24-7. There’s no real time off if you’re a writer, because if you are writing to publish, you’re on a deadline, and if you aren’t and you’re looking to get a story out of your head, you invest a lot of time thinking about it.

Also note this often-unstated fact: no one really knows why or what makes books sell. In today’s world, which is steadily growing to be more and more online, the authors have a lot more marketing muscle to flex, and it shows. We see Twitter ads, Google+, Facebook, and all of this contributes, in some way or another, to the sales of an author’s work. However, there is no magic formula for a best-seller.

Which brings me to the third point, and that’s the fact that people – usually non-writing readers – romanticize writing. An art form, a calling – yes, it is those things, and more. But the notion that that is all it takes to make it as a writer is ludicrous. It takes a hell of a lot of work to produce a book and to sell it. And, if you’re self-pub, you will continue to work to sell it well after it’s published in order to earn the payoff you want. And even then, there’s a good chance you may not make the money you want to make. In order to do so, you have to treat the art of writing as the business of writing, and these are two sides of the same coin that are impossible to separate. The art cannot be in the public eye without the business aspect, and as soon as the author will put his/her work up to the public, the entrenching into the business begins.

There is one very good part about all this, though: you learn fast. The information is all over the ‘Net, and authors are an incredibly supportive community. You learn the ins and outs of managing your writing as a business, and that gives you a marked sense of security in navigating the waters of making a career of your writing.

We the writers all come into it with passion. We know what makes us write, and we know our stories, and perfect the art of telling them. However, the business aspect of writing cannot be ignored, especially if we want our writing to be a career path as well.

Kat Gilraine

You can find out more about her books at her Facebook page.
And her Amazon Author Page.

Bio:
When Katherine Gilraine heard the words, “You can’t be a writer!” she replied with, “That’s what YOU think!”
Mind you, she was three years old at the time.
Always putting pen to paper, or words to screen, Gilraine had decided to enter the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2006, and while working night shift and taking 18 credits in her senior year of college, she wrapped up the first draft of the first installment in her sci-fi/urban fantasy series, The Index.

Show Dog – The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred

Show Dog – The Charmed Life and Trying Times of a Near-Perfect Purebred
By Josh Dean
Amazon
Author’s Website
Reviewer received this book from publisher.

Book blurb from cover jacket

Every weekend, for nearly fifty weeks each year, tens of thousands of Americans pack up their SUVs and minivans with crates and dryers and treats and shampoos and hairsprays and plush toys and fan out for some of the two-thousand-plus dog shows held annually across the United States. More than two million pedigreed dogs, and exponentially more humans who handle and care for them, will take part in these events—for the most part happily—and the world that has grown up to support them is massive and vibrant, and almost impossible to imagine unless you’ve seen it in person.

By spending a year alongside rising star Jack, a champion Australian shepherd, and his canine and human friends, magazine journalist Josh Dean yanks back the curtain on the dog show world, providing not just a hilarious and often touching portrait of a colorful subculture only slightly exaggerated in the film Best in Show, but also a revealing look at our love affair with the world’s most doted-upon and tinkered-with animal species, examining the colossal array of dog types and humans who love them.

The book follows Jack as he matures over the course of a year, from still-improving adolescent to seasoned adult show dog. We get to know him and the people around him—his owner, his handler, his breeder—to experience what it’s like to own a show dog and to train one. And we come to appreciate him for what he is, a lovable and intelligent house pet—albeit one with a highly unusual occupation.

Along the way, Dean takes a close look at the eccentric and fascinating world of breeders and dog show fanciers—exploring the history and science of purebred dog breeding and the evolution of canine perfection via dog show culture, with that pursuit’s many related peculiarities: judging, training, naming, promoting, hairstyling, kennel-owning, RV-driving, hotel-finding, treat-selecting, and more.

Review
As the blurb says this is a true story following an Australian Shepherd from a newbie to a champion AKC (American Kennel Club) conformation show dog. Jack, as he’s known to his people, or Grand Champion Wyndstar’s Honorable Mention as the AKC knows him, is a stunning blue merle (look at the cover pic) with a lot of presence and personality. He was bred to be a show dog, but by a strange twist of fate, he was bought by a woman who wanted a pet first, and possibly a show dog second. The breeder took some convincing but finally decided to sell Jack to his human. The rest, as they say, is history.

Briefly, the American Kennel Club is a dog registry that recognizes purebred dog breeds and sets the standard for what they feel that breed is supposed to be, from appearance to temperament. AKC conformation shows are designed to judge and showcase the best of the best for breeding and prestige purposes. Many breeds also have their own specific registry along with American Kennel Club recognition. A quick note on Aussies, or Australian Shepard’s—they are actually a dog created for herding and working purposes in the American west.

Mr. Dean deftly tells the story of Jack as he goes from an untried puppy to a champion conformation dog. He followed this dog’s story for just over a year, attending shows, and getting to know the owner, Jack’s handler, and many other personalities in the show world. He also weaves in history of both the AKC, dog shows, the Aussie breed, and many other things in the story, to give a very vivid picture of the show world for both dogs and people. It’s very clear that Jack is first a pet and companion, and second a champion show dog, and that he loves every minute of it. Mr. Dean also gives a very candid look as a newbie outsider (him) turns into a newbie insider and learns the ropes of the very strange world of showing dogs. Not only do we get to follow Jack’s story in detail but we hear about many of the other top dogs in the circuit. We also learn about some of the controversies and find out that “Aussie people” are a lot saner than many other breeds as well as getting a good look at how professional handlers do their jobs. And really… poodles? LOL. He does touch on the hows and whys of poodle showing as well.

Over all I really enjoyed this book. It was well written and highly entertaining. Show Dog did a very good job of introducing me to a world that I only vaguely understood before. My only complaint was that I didn’t feel he did enough wrap up with Jack at the end. I would have liked to see a little more recap on all his accomplishments since the book was about him.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Aussies, the conformation world, or dogs in general.

Kira’s first herding trial

Kira, Vampire-Hunting Dog in training, had her first herding trial last weekend. She tested in what is called the pre-test, a pass/fail thingy, so not against other dogs, just showing that she has mastered the basics of herding. She passed it both days by two different judges and now has her first herding title

Here’s the video of the first day.

eta finally found the ebeded code so here it is.

Cover art – Westward, Home

Oh, lookie… more cover art… more purple and black… *love* And you know what that means right? Right! Westward, Home the last Into the West short should be out soon. I’m working on proofs right now. (Well, actually right now I’m typing this post, but then I’ll be doing proofs)

Cover Art – Summer Break Blues

I have cover art!!! And I love it

Contrast it with Senior Year Bites

What do you guys think?

Summer Break Blues

Just a quick update, I’m writing away on lots of projects, but I saw a potential cover for Summer Break Blues and I LOVE it. I can’t wait to share.

Work on my Seampunk Novella is going well… in fact so well that I’m done with the rough draft Me and my partner in writerly doom S.N Holl have tons of plans for this world, and they’re going well. A teaser… just for you

From The World of Three: Serpent Queen

There was very little I loved more than my Serpent Queen, except maybe for the remarkable woman I’d named my ship for. She was a dragon class airship and didn’t have a dirigible balloon. Her aether gas was stored in the hull and in the special paint that went on the steerage wings. She had sleek, swept back sails to assist the steerage and was far faster and maneuverable than the zeppelin class ships. She was also more easily defended as we didn’t have to worry about a dirigible. If our tanks were punctured, the gas would stay in the hull longer and keep us from crashing to the ground, in theory. I’d see it work in practice and I’d see it fail in practice.

yay airships… lol.

Book Review: The Bitter Seed of Magic

The Bitter Seed of Magic by Suzanne Mcleod

My first review on a real review site Here: http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com/2012/04/guest-review-of-bitter-seed-of-magic-by.html?showComment=1333987684507#c5975569195876528123