Black Earth: End of the Innocence by David N. Alderman

*Giveaway Bonus*

And the contest is closed! The three winners of the digital copy of Black Earth: End of the Innocence are Cindy, Mel, and Heather. I hope you enjoy the review. ^_^

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Miles away from Nathan, a girl is standing atop a building, preparing to jump off. She wants to escape from her evil mother, Evanescence, and from the world she knows will soon come to an end thanks to Legion, a demonic alien force bent on partnering with satan to destroy earth. When Nathan blacks out, he can see and feel the things that she can feel. And he's not the only one with an unfathomable superhuman ability.

Heather, his best friend, can put up a shield when in danger, an ability she shares with Jasper - a Wedge from the world of Rhodenine who has come to earth to stop Legion from taking out Earth and rescue his woman. And where is his woman? She's trapped as a slave under a megalomaniac who wants to be the one to send all the humans to planet Anaisha when planet earth is destroyed.

The story also follows Cynthia, a teenager who went to the same school Nathan went to, as she gives a second thought to her whorish ways throughout highschool and deals with her mother who seems more and more evil and mysterious as the story goes on. Then there's President Amanda and the questionable laws she passes and Ericka, a reporter who is quick to bring those questionable laws to the light.

Though the main conflict of the story is the mysterious stars/meteorites falling from the sky and killing thousands of people left and right, there are as many conflicts - if not more - as there are point of views. However, Nathan remains in the middle of all of this conflict, and it begs the biggest question of all: What makes Nathan so important?

Black Earth is definitely like watching a movie. Because it changes point of views so often, and there is a good amount of action, I imagined I was watching it on the big screen throughout the whole story. However, at some points, I did feel like there were too many plot threads and characters to follow and keep track of, at least for a 173 page story.

Not that all of the plot threads weren't interesting and awesome. I love how David Alderman tried to mix in time traveling, aliens, demons, government conspiracies, and normal teenage problems. Still, it sometimes felt like he was trying to tell one too many stories in one story. Some of them could very well be stories of their own.

My favorite chapter was chapter 34. I loved the characters, the dialogue, and the action. I smiled, felt terrified, and cheered in various sections throughout. It's not only my favorite chapter of this book; it's one of my favorite chapters of all time, and that's really saying something considering I read and review a new book every weekend.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who is into fantasy, horror, and sci-fi fiction. I know I enjoyed it and look forward to reading and reviewing book 2 as well!

Click here to see about the double pack, which combines book 1 and book 2!

Find David Alderman

Black Earth
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Awakening Evarun (Part I of VI) by Thomas Barczak

*Giveaway Bonus*

The contest is closed! The winners are Sarah Hulcy and Megan Ticer.
I hope you enjoy the review and check the book out.

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The world Talus inhabits is a dark one full of death. Wizards and dragons, both ferocious in their own right, made it that way. You can hear them coming from miles away, what with the sounds of drumbeats and cries announcing their arrival. Even if you can't see them, they can see you through the eyes of the dead.

In a world full of death, there's really nowhere to hide.

Still, Talus tries. At first he seems like he is just a poor man surviving on the smallest of threads, but there is much more to him than what readers initially see in chapter one, just like there is much more to the little boy who tells Talus that the wizards have found him.

Hiding is no longer an option.

Awakening Evarun's uniqueness in format is what attracted me to the book. It's a six part serial novel, meaning that each part is relatively short, with a beautiful sketch before each chapter. This isn't a route many authors or publishers take. Thomas Barczak wrote the story, drew the sketches, and self-published it. In all, he's one hell of a one man team, and I can't help but respect that.

Barczak's writing is lyrical at times yet simple and easy to understand. However, there were at least two instances where a lyrical description went over my head even when I reread the sentence. I liked the amount of white space as well. Exposition never seemed unnecessary, which is sometimes a problem in fantasy books.

When reading fantasies, I always take note of the terminology in the hopes that I'll learn more later (also so that I won't lose track). Fortunately, there wasn't an overwhelming amount of terms to keep up with, but there were enough to convince me that the world is definitely a place developed enough to feel separate from our own. The only time I felt this separation was shaky was near the end, when I couldn't help but think of Christianity.

If you like fantasy, art, and a short read (it took me less than an hour to finish and I was taking notes), I don't see why you shouldn't try Awakening Evarun (Part I of VI). I know I'm looking forward to reading the other five parts.

Author Thomas Barczak

Find Thomas Barczak

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Awakening Evarun (Part I of VI)
Awakening Evarun (Part II of VI)
Awakening Evarun (Part III of VI)
Awakening Evarun (Part IV of VI) 

Author Spotlight: Douglas R. Brown

*Giveaway Bonus*

The giveaway contest is closed! The winner of the print copy of Tamed is Heidi V and the winner of the ebook copy is Shooting Stars Mag. 

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Author Douglas R. Brown has quite a number of wonderful titles. He's a family man with a beautiful wife, a son, and two dogs; He's a firefighter and paramedic; and, of course, he's a writer. In the beginning, writing was a way for him to cope with the stresses of his firefighter/paramedic lifestyle. Now the fantasy stories he writes - from 'The Light of Epertase' series to 'Tamed' - is a way for him to add something to the genre he's loved for years.

Tamed, his most recent book, explores the idea of having werewolves as pets. In fact, on February 29th, I'll review Tamed. Here's the description from Amazon:

Werewolves are real. And they make excellent pets. Owning one of the legendary creatures is the latest fad. The WereHouse insists their werepets are loyal, docile, and 100% safe, but what happens when these gentle giants turn on their masters? While on a routine EMS call, paramedic Christine Alt is attacked by a rogue werepet. She escapes with her life, but the encounter leaves her with more than just scars. As her body begins to change, she discovers the WereHouse is hiding a terrible secret, and they will stop at nothing to keep her from exposing them.

Apart from the fact that I can't wait to read Tamed, I bet you're wondering why I'm spotlighting Douglas. Well, earlier today, he was interviewed on NBC4! Personally, as a writer who has dreamed about what it would be like to talk about my book on TV, I'm very excited for him. For this to be his first time on TV, I think he did a wonderful job (the interview officially starts at 1:10).

What do you think about Douglas and/or Tamed? Share your thoughts in the comment box and you'll be automatically entered to win either a print or ebook copy!

Find Douglas R. Brown

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Rhemalda

Tamed: Amazon Page

Blog 



Freebie Friday: True Colors by Michelle Davidson Argyle

If you own a Kindle (you can easily download Kindle for PC or for Mac if not), Amazon is offering this literary short story collection by Michelle Davidson Argyle for free. ^_^

My Review

Download for Free

Guest Post: Writer Imani Wisdom and Storytelling

Every Wednesday, a guest is supposed to post here at Reader's Den. However, since I won't be putting together a new line-up of guests until February or March, I've decided to make all guest posts for this month recaps of older ones that I think deserve more love. The first week's post was David Alderman. He shared his thoughts on self-publishing. Last week I featured Allan Leverone, who talked about short story writing.


This week's guest post is courtesty of Imani Wisdom. In September 2011, she started her own publishing company called 'Wickedly Sweet Ink.' The first book published under this company is 'Untimely Revelations,' and there are four other books coming up. I hope you enjoy Imani's post about what it means to accept being a storyteller!

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The Gift of Storytelling

All of my life, I knew writing was my passion.  Since the age of eight years old when I wrote my first song lyric, I discovered creating a great story is the mastermind of our entertainment.  It’s a template from a writer’s active imagination bringing life to great and memorable movies; such as, Gone with the Wind and Star Wars; television shows like, I love Lucy and The Cosby Show, or legendary songs like, John Lennon’s Imagine and Aretha Franklin’s Respect.  Even though at the time I knew the significance at the discovery, I had other interests.  I didn’t take writing seriously until twenty years later when it turned from a budding interest into words of healing. 

Like any artist, most writers tend to discover their craft during the darkest moments in their lives, and I’m no different.  I battled through depression, health issues, and became a caregiver for my mother, aunt, and grandparents.  I used to think I was being punished by a higher power for enduring all of those of challenges, and laid in bed crying nightly to pray for something good to come my way.  So I waited for a sign.  And I waited, and waited, and waited some more.  Then one day last year when my depression had grown ominous, I prayed once more out loud asking what my purpose is for living. 

Suddenly I had an epiphany.  It was crystal clear as if someone or something nudged at my subconscious.  I won’t say what the sign entailed, but what I can say it compelled me to finish a short story I had stored on my computer for a few years.  This story began with just under 10,000 words turned to a near 300-page manuscript.  Strangely, during the time I wrote the untitled story, I realized everything I had wondered about my life was answered by the stroke of my fingers, transferring it from an active imagination into a powerful narrative.

After that sobering day, my life had changed for the better.  I’m finally stepping out of the box to pursue my dream to become a published author.  Whether you’ve been on the journey through traditional or self-publishing, I can safely say both roads aren’t an easy task. 

As I get closer at publishing my short story, Introduction of Nikki Robinson, releasing on eBooks this summer, I’m still learning and growing as a writer, or I prefer to be called, a storyteller.   I don’t know if I’ll be like a lot of published authors and throw in the name “author” in front of my name on social networking sites.  I am actually proud to call myself just a storyteller.  As I stated earlier, writers are indeed the base of our entertainment.  So as I say all the time—if you have this gift for storytelling—I don’t see why you can’t write any genre.  As long as it’s a great story, you can feed our need for great entertainment.

True Colors by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Colors have a way of fascinating, whether wrapped in paper and stuffed in a box, or pushing fistfuls through topsoil, screaming, "I
am here at last!"

The above qoute, from 'Clover' on page 89, summarizes this collection of literary short stories (with the occasional poem) perfectly. Colors, secrets, symbolism, imagery, love lost and gained, nature...each of these play a considerably large role in the sixteen stories within.


When I think of these stories, I can't help but compare them to snapshots. They're more like photographs transformed into words; a moment that is otherwise mundane becomes beautiful and significant, like with 'Encounters' and 'The Sky Was Bluer Then, and Smoke More White.'


For those more accustomed to contemporay fiction, 'True Stories' may take some getting used to. Many of the stories are poetic and abstract. Because of this, a slower read-through is sometimes necessary. I didn't have a problem with that. Forcing me, a speed reader, to slow down in order to really try and work out the meaning of a story is a good thing. The only story I couldn't grasp was 'An Offering of Vines.'

Of the sixteen stories, seven really stuck with me. 'The Threshold' is my absolute favorite, what with it's wonderful dialogue and characters that feel extremely real. 'Fences' and 'Clover' stick with me also due to how very solid the characters were. In both tales, I was able to smile at some parts and feel genuinely sad at others. I admired how they all held themselves together, if even on a thread, in spite of how damaged they were.

'Signs,' in spite of its length (or maybe because of its length), manages to be terrifying and sad. Though some instances of 'The Unpaved' did confuse me, I loved how so much of it was symbolism and imagery, how it managed to be two stories that combined to make one.


I've never been too big of a fan of poetry, but I really did enjoy 'Enclosures' and 'The Innocent Flower.' 'Enclosures' made me feel envious of such a relaxing, simple moment between the mom and her child while 'The Innocent Flower' was charged with emotion and personification and an admirable representation of Lady Macbeth.

I've noticed that many of the stories contain marriages gone wrong or a number of secrets that are kept from both characters and the audience. There are as many secrets in this collection as there are colors, as with 'Sounding Light' and 'This.'

When I read a short story collection, I always feel as though I have somehow become closer to the author. Michelle Argyle is one of those unique authors you rarely see these days. She writes in so many different genres and styles - poetry, suspense, literary, fantasy, mystery, new adult, etc - and I can't wait to read and review her other stories!

Guest Post: Allan Leverone and Short Story Writing

Every Wednesday, a guest is supposed to post here at Reader's Den. However, since I won't be putting together a new line-up of guests until February, I've decided to make all guest posts for this month recaps of older ones that I think deserve more love. Last week's post was David Alderman. He shared his thoughts on self-publishing. This week I'll be featuring Allan Leverone.

A while ago, I reviewed Allan's short story collection "Postcards from the Apocalypse." It is, hands down, one of my most favorite short story collections and what made me realize that I do like reviewing short stories. As thus, it's only fitting that his guest post here was about short stories.

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Short Stories are Harder to Write than Novels

Writing a novel takes a long time; I’m not going to try to claim differently. Filling up three hundred manuscript pages with conflict, drama and suspense takes weeks, months even, and that’s just to complete the first draft. Then you have to go back and rewrite, edit, polish, rewrite some more, edit and polish some more and then, if you’re really lucky and have a little talent, your novel might be ready to actually, you know, show someone.

I’ve written five novel-length manuscripts and am well into my sixth, so I can testify to the truth of all that. It’s a grind, a marathon, a twenty-six mile slog as opposed to the hundred yard sprint of short story writing. There is no question you have to have self-discipline to sit at your keyboard every single day and pound out a thousand to two thousand words or more on a novel.

But here’s the thing. Knowing you have three hundred fifty manuscript pages in which to tell your story can be liberating. It gives you the room and the time to develop your characters and conflicts fully and allows complex story arcs to play out.

In short story writing, none of that is possible. All the elements of storytelling have to be part of the construction, but everything must take place in just a few thousand words, a tiny percentage of the word-count of a novel. There has to be character development—if the reader doesn’t care what happens to the subject of the story, you’ve lost him.

There has to be a conflict, whether some kind of interior issue the protagonist must overcome or an exterior problem, something that is happening to him or her, either caused by another person or often a situation. Then, after that conflict has been established, there has to be a satisfactory resolution; otherwise, what’s the point?

One huge advantage of short stories is that the conflict resolution does not necessarily have to be the typical “happy ending” required of most novels. As an author, you are taking a big chance if you ask a reader to invest hours of time reading a novel and then end it with the “bad guys” winning. There is no such restriction with short story construction. If the reader has invested just minutes in a story, rather than hours, he or she won’t mind being hit with a twist ending where maybe the protagonist comes out on the short end of the stick.

As a genre writer, there is nothing quite like surprising the reader with an ending she is not expecting. Most of the fiction in my short story collection, Postcards From the Apocalypse, contains some sort of twist ending that might not be possible in a novel. And that’s a lot of fun.

Important Author Links:

• http://allanleverone.com/
• http://allanleverone.blogspot.com/ 
• http://allanleverone.com/books.php
• http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MMEDU0 {Link to Final Vector}
• http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/Allan.Leverone?sk=info
• http://allanleverone.com/events.php

The Demon's Apprentice by Ben Reeder

*Giveaway Bonus*

And the giveaway contest is CLOSED. The winner of a print, signed copy of 'The Demon's Apprentice' is Patty White!

I hope you enjoy the review.


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On Chance's seventh birthday, his dad sold him to a demon out of a selfish desire to escape his own demonic debts. Eight years later, Fifteen-year-old sophomore Chance takes life into his own hands. Through intelligence, careful planning, and amazing will power, Chance outwits his powerful demon master and escapes. His life is finally his own.

The Demon's Apprentice is the inverse of the typical high-school-kid-who-stumbles-upon-the-supernatural-world story. It starts with Chance fully aware of the supernatural world and, as the story continues, it's high school he has to get accustomed to. But, of course, just because he's free from the demon doesn't mean that he's free from the supernatural society. In fact, being free from the demon only makes the supernatural that much more interested in him.

His first week in the suburbs, his first week of attempting to live a normal life, turns out to be one 'hell' of a couple of days. On the plus side, he makes friends and learns what the love of a wonderful mother and little sister is like. On the negative side, the trail of people/creatures after Chance just keeps growing - from the police to the Wizards' Conclave to the football jocks.

Chance is finally surrounded by those he loves and those who love him, but can he protect them all from the dangers that come along with being a warlock?

In the beginning, I didn't know how I felt about Chance. He's one of those marvelously written protagonists that one both finds suspicious and loveable. However, by the fourth chapter, I found myself really caring about Chance. It's hard not to. He's the type of guy that would never take advantage of a female, and he has major love and respect for his mom.

I also really loved how Ben Reeder describes characters and magic. He describes magic in such a way that readers can easily grasp how it works, and it's the first time I've ever fully understood the process. In spite of all the crazy, dark things going on, there were still humorous bits that got a good laugh out of me. Hey, who doesn't like a good laugh?

There's another book on its way and I can't wait to read it!

Author Ben Reeder

Find Ben Reeder

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The Demon's Apprentice: Barnes and Noble page
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Big 2012 Giveaway!

Before you read anything below these lines, go to the book giveaway page and check out the books you can choose from. There's Stephen King, Anne Rice, collections, nonfiction, comics, and more. If you want any of the books, any at all, carefully read the contest terms in the giveaway widget!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freebie Friday: Vine Leaves Issue #1

This is the first Freebie Friday of 2012! Freebie Friday is pretty explanatory. Basically, I find something literary and free and link you to it. The free thing varies - sometimes it's a full book or a magazine or a short story collection; other times it's a free product or some free software that I think may be helpful to readers. Either way, finding free literary things on the internet makes me a happy reader, so I want to share that happiness with you.

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Vine Leaves is a new journal with a simple, yet beautiful purpose - to create a place for fellow writers to publish their work, especially the type of work that is often overlooked by the literary world. This issue focused on the vignette, and a vignette is 'a snapshot in words...that focuses on one element, mood, character, or object.' 

The whole first issue is online free.

Usually I discover free things by exploring the internet or checking my e-mails, but I found out about this journal through my friend Michelle Davidson Argyle. In the past, I've reviewed Cinders, and I'll be reviewing True Colors (her short story collection) the 22nd of this month. 'White,' her vignette, is on page three.   

Enjoy!



David Alderman and Self-Publishing

So, it's the first Wednesday of the new year. Every Wednesday, a guest is supposed to post here at Reader's Den. However, since I won't be putting together a new line-up of guests until February, I've decided to make all guest posts for this month recaps of older ones that I think deserve more love.

David Alderman's thoughts on self-publishing is the first post I want to repost. It's very candid and helpful, and I'm proud to say that I'll be reviewing one of his books - Black Earth: End of the Innocence - on January 29. If you're considering self-publishing your own work or just want to know more about the process from the point-of-view of a guy who has done it many times, this should be a great post for you. Enjoy!

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Author David Alderman was first mentioned on Triple R for his helpful, informative post on Tools for Self-Published Authors. If anyone knows about self publishing, it's him.

His guest post today will be split into two parts. The second part will be online next Saturday, June 4th. This is the first time I've ever done that, but I didn't want him to cut anything to make it fit the guidelines for one guest appearance. The post is too good as it is.

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When I was given the chance to post here on Tiffany’s blog, I didn’t know what I wanted to write at first. In the weeks leading up to this post, my main work computer died and my writing schedule went upside down and all around in frustration and chaos. I have three novels in the pipeline, all in different stages of the self-publishing process, getting ready for their release this summer, and having a computer crash on you at that point is one of the worst things that can happen.

Then it dawned on me. Why not write about self-publishing? It’s a popular topic nowadays, right? With the boom of e-readers and the expansion of the digital age, anyone can write anything and publish it to the masses. Anybody can be a published author. 

Last week, Tymothy Longoria posted a great piece - http://fuisti.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-post-tymothy-longoria-and.html - on the pros and cons of being a writer. I’d like to take his points and bring them into another realm, the realm of self-publishing. Deciding to write something is one thing. Deciding to become a full-time writer is another. But even more than that comes the decision to become a self-published – or indie – writer, one who takes control of every aspect of their treasured little baby.

I first fell in love with the written word in sixth grade when I was called on to write a short story as part of a class assignment. I wrote a piece about a boy who fought to save the world from a criminal mastermind. It was an innocent story, from the mind of an innocence sixth grader. But what I didn’t know, was with that one story, my destiny had been sealed. It began with short stories which in turn blew up into novels which in turn blew up into a series. I fell in deep, crazy in love with writing, with creating, with the very act of recording my imagination onto humble sheets of notebook paper. 

Many years later, I am proud to call myself a full-time writer. After a frustrating road through my twenties, working so many different jobs, trying my hand at so many different things to find out where I fit in, to find a task, a purpose, where my creative imagination could sprout and grow, I finally came to the realization that nothing fulfills me like writing does.

Writing is a creative process, one that requires us to pull out pieces of ourselves and put them under the spotlight for the world to see. Many of the arts require this type of sacrifice, we all just use different tools. Writers have pen and paper, artists have brushes and paint, singers have music notes and microphones. What we all have in common is imagination, creativity, passion. Courage. We step out, reveal the deepest parts of ourselves to the world, some lovely, some entertaining, some downright dark. But we put all of it on display for others to see, to read, to hear. We take a chance and we allow others to criticize, to hate, to love, to embrace. 

Self-publishing takes these parts of ourselves and exposes them in a more revealing light. To write a story is one thing. To take on the responsibility of editing that story, of creating the cover design, of promoting said story on a website, multiple social networking platforms, even a blog, is a burden few are able to take upon themselves properly. Regardless if we have others help us with these creative ventures, we are still the ones solely responsible for how it all weaves together  to create a package for the readers out there looking for a new story, a new adventure, a new world to get lost in.

Click to read Part 2!