Enter to win a copy of At One’s Beast, through September 14th
Or/And
Enter to win a copy of Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams, through October 31st
“You are not required to review the book if you win a copy. However, we encourage you do to so, as it’s the reason the publishers are giving us free books in the first place. People who review the books are also more likely to win more advance copies in the future.”
Local Author Does it Again!
Seattle, Washington, July 14th – Rachel Barnard, a driven young author in the Seattle area released her newest young adult novel, At One’s Beast this month. The novel comes on the heels of the re-release of her debut novel, Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams (published March 25th, 2014).
Barnard began writing At One’s Beast last year during the Southern Cross Novel Challenge (SoCNoC – the Southern Hemisphere writing challenge mimicking the NaNoWriMo Challenge to write a 50k word novel in 30 days) in June. She began editing the novel the following winter, handed it to beta readers in the spring, re-edited in the summer and hit the publish button in July.
At One’s Beast is about a village that creates a monster… Every girl and boy in the village of Frey fears the beast who lives in the forest. Ten years ago, the beast was formed from the town’s rage — and the evil that lurks inside all people in moments of weakness. Every year since, the townspeople have sacrificed one of their own to appease his anger. This year the sacrifice does not go as planned. A young man saves the chosen girl from fate. She is torn between doing her duty and untangling the identity of her savior and captor. The young man grew up with thoughts of revenge on the town that turned their backs on him, but when he is close to the girl, he is reminded of who he used to be. From once upon a time to happily ever after, the people of Frey will have to rally together to rid the town of evil once and for all, but in the process will they destroy everything that is good in their world?
What did the beta readers have to say about the book? “Your action scenes are quite good!” and “I’m starting to get into the book and not wanting to put it down!” and “I loved the once upon a time opening – evokes storytelling, tells reader the type of story they are about to read.” (Bill Barnard)
Want to read more? Createspace Preview of Chapter one is available for your reading pleasure Here
For more information on Rachel Barnard and her novels, you can visit her website at www.rachelauthorbarnard.com
I always have fun at these local festivals and enjoy spending time chatting with my local author buddies. We had such great support from the FreeValley Publishing authors, see how many we stuffed back in our space? My favorite booth was ours of course! Second was two booths down with the fresh picked blueberries from Cle Elum.
Mind Space Vol. 1: Conspiracy Book 1: The Martyrs by David S. Moore
A Science Fiction Novel published on amazon.com (01/10/2014)
Summary:
The Mind Shield is a medical miracle and for two years after FDA clearance, it is sold and subsidized to the public with specific focused targeting on those in office and those in the military, as well as those over the age of 50, a population susceptible to what the Mind Shield 1 monitors for: Hypertension and stroke. At the turn of the third year, the secret and real intentions of the Mind Shield are turned on and suddenly all those millions with the Mind Shield are not just being monitored by the device. Marianna sums up the struggle of those opposed to the Mind Shield on page 330, “The Mind Shield is a device that takes away our most sacred right — the freedom to think whatever we choose, without external influence! It is time we put a stop to this dangerous product. It it time we told the FDA to remove this psychological weapon from the market.”
Keywords:
Science Fiction, Mind Control, America 2050’s, Technology, Resistance Movement, Sabotage, the Martyrs
My Review:
In a world where healthcare is being reformed and new advanced medical devices are being developed all the time, David S. Moore’s novel hits hard. The essential essence of his book is wholly entrancing. The questions he brings up are deviously difficult to answer. After finishing his book, I am still wondering whether the Mind Shield is good or bad. Is our own society moving towards a product that could be taken advantage of and used for nefarious purposes just like the Mind Shield – a Trojan horse? The Mind Shield is the greatest medical marvel of the 2050’s and newer versions get better and better,saving more and more lives, but at what cost? The technology is easily used to not only monitor but control and therein lies the paradox.
“There are some people who really need a Mind Shield,” Traci said. “They need the monitoring that the Mind Shield offers. People with high risk of stroke. People who have cancer.” (page 258).
The organization opposed to the Mind Shield cannot simply shut down and destroy the entire Jaimeson-Cale operations, because the Mind Shield undoubtably saves lives. But to many characters in the novel (those not currently under the influence of the mind controlling aspect of the Mind Shield) it is not worth the personality change and control just to have the comfort of the monitoring abilities of the device. It is not worth it to give up individuality for comfort and peace of mind. This essential question is answered by David S. Moore in his novel, just like it is answered in dictatorship-held nations or bland fictional Utopian societies. Moore brings up the question in regards to a life-saving and life-changing miracle. The Mind Shield can save your life, but what life will you have under its influence? Such an essential thought-provoking concept makes for such a beguiling read. As this is a series, Moore has given me ample reason to read on.
Not only has Moore intrigued me with the essential idea of his novel, but also with the way he tells the story. I love a good apocalypse novel, yet most of them focus on the aftermath and the destruction that society must live beyond. Moore gives us a taste for the actual apocalypse and the slow devolution of humanity through this singular device that is heralded both as a great medical miracle and as an evil instrument of mind control.
He tells the story with care and focus, specializing on the effects of the Mind Shield device and those leaders involved in its inception, production, and (hopefully) ultimate demise. As a reader, I am rooting for the triumph of humanity. I hold my breath for the second and third books in the series to find out if humanity will win in the end or realize their great mistakes in approving the Mind Shield and allowing it to pervade into society and then control its citizens.
At times, due to the way Moore focuses on the Mind Shield across time, I lose details into how the world is changing or what the world is like other than the few details and complete focus on the Mind Shield. In the 2050’s is the Mind Shield the only modern marvel? Moore does mention other everyday technological devices, hinting into the environment of the world and the advancement of the society. He gives just enough detail to quench my thirst while still leaving me wanting more. He reiterates the Mind Shield sales pitch and how the device works on a technical level to the point where a layman can almost completely understand its inner-workings, which, as a layman, I very much appreciate.
I was a bit disturbed that the “good” guys (those opposed to the Mind Shield) used kidnapping as a means to accomplish their ends, to deprogram those who had been under the influence of the device. As Dr. Orville declares to Lucia, “ We’re in the business of freeing minds, not enslaving them.” (page 88-89). Yet, he condones kidnapping, which one could argue takes away as much of a person’s basic human rights as mind control. Moore amends this by later saying that there was a case of a doctor being prosecuted for kidnapping and sent to prison for 30 years (page. 209), thereby re-establishing a world of justice and balance in his novel and in my mind as a reader.
The format of the novel was fairly standard and easy to read. I got a bit bogged down in the lengthy title and amount of exclamation points, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed David S. Moore’s first book in his Mind Space series and look forward to reading the next novel, Restoration.
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a well written novel and easy-to-read science fiction novel. This book reminds me of Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke in it’s sweeping narration through long periods of time with a focus on a single aspect of society.
This novel was published through Createspace Independent Publishing Platform 01/10/2014 and is available on Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 4.75
Links for more information:
FreeValley Publishing’s David S. Moore
David S. Moore’s novels will be available for purchase at the local North Bend Days Event, so make sure to look for his books there where you might be able to get a personally signed copy by the author himself and ask him what he really thinks about the Mind Shield.
Rosehead by Ksenia Anske
A Young Adult Fantasy Novel published on amazon.com (3/31/2014)
Summary:
Lilith, along with her mother and father, arrive in Germany for the funeral of Lilith’s grandmother. During her stay, Lilith discovers some very peculiar happenings at the Bloom & Co mansion, where Roses of immaculate red color and scent are grown. She investigates the peculiarities with her trusty Whippet, Panther, and all trails lead to the roses. How do they maintain their color and beauty longer than any of their counterparts? Lilith is determined to find out.
Keywords:
Roses, Germany, twelve-year old, peculiarity, investigation, magical roses, tradition
My Review:
There is almost always something I find fault with as a reader nowadays, but reading Rosehead by Ksenia Anske broke all of my expectations. I could not put the book down and though there are close to 400 pages, I devoured the novel in one day. The only comment I would give is to the format of the book, the font is too large for my liking, which is entirely my own personal preference. There were also a larger-than-average number of minor spelling and grammar issues, but I read over them, noted, and kept going because the style of writing was so easy to follow and read through, even with the errors.
The author’s writing style was quite sophisticated. She crafted her sentences with care and her dialogue with entertaining closeness to reality. The dog’s voice is adorable and true to form of both dog and sidekick, “Pink is my favorite color. Besides, it’s more blush. Very delicate. Matches my tongue.” (Page 47). The Whippet is described as a, “…talking cat in a dog’s body with an unrivaled passion for steak, rosy jackets, and squirrels.” (Page 366).
Lilith is also a very well-drawn character. Immediately Anske lets us know that she is no ordinary twelve-year old girl because she, “… only felt sill when she was moving and [she] could smell things other people couldn’t.” (Page 366).
Lilith has her faults and eccentricities, such as her unique vocabulary and the way she is always trying to utilize as many sophisticated words as possible in her speech and the author will even italicize them to give them more emphasis. Lilith also, instead of getting emotional and angry at any bad thing done to her, finitely controls her language to be poisonously polite.
Lilith is such a loveable character because of her stubborn single mindedness. She gets fixated to a fault and she sometimes cannot seem to control her outbursts of accusations. It may be maddening for her to momentary lose control like this, but for the reader it adds tension and excitement. Panther, her Whippet companion puts it well, “I simply love your attention to detail and your inability to hear what others are saying once you set your mind to something.” (Page 186).
I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the hijinks and imagination of Calvin and Hobbes, the sidekick element of Pantalaimon in Philip Pullman’s Dark Materials series, or the whimsical darkness of Pan’s Labyrinth.
This novel was published through Lulu.com 8/19/11 and is available on her website here and Amazon here.
TLDR Star Rating: 5.0
Links for more information:
I am giving back to the writing community. You can too! By writing reviews for other authors, usually Indie authors, I am helping them and helping myself. In thoughfully picking at a book, I can learn about myself as a writer and a reader and learn a thing or two about writing in the process.
The following is my review policy and format of my reviews, as shown on my reviews tab:
I am not a professional reviewer, however, I am an avid reader and writer and know a thing or two about writing and books. Each review is based on my own personal thoughts and interpretations of the book and will be an honest review.
I do not take payment for reviews.
I do not work on any set deadlines as I have a busy schedule and will not always get to the book in as timely a manner as I would like.
At this time I prefer print books and will not return any materials that are sent to me.
Reviews will be posted on my blog first and foremost and then after a period of time they will be placed on Amazon and Goodreads. If the author so wishes, I can post the review on other sites as well.
The type of books that I like to review are (In no particular order):
Young Adult,
Fantasy,
Science Fiction,
Historical Fiction,
Speculative Fiction,
General Fiction
If you are an Indie author looking for a great reader who enjoys most books, my TBR list is shrinking rapidly, and I will be on the lookout for more great prospects. Note, however, that I prefer physical copies for my reading pleasure.
What a lovely night of Poetry! Thank you everyone for sharing your works as well as poetry from poets you admire/love
I shared two poems by one of my favorites Shel Silverstein: Noise Day and Shel Silverstein’s Cure for Writer’s Block
Thank you North Bend library for allowing us use of the space and endorsing Poetry and Poetry Month for this event!
Our lovely books are displayed right alongside some of the classics in poetry
The crowd gets ready for the readings
27 Years a Poet
Vicky Bastedo
T. Tommia Wright
Stephen J. Matlock
Sheri J. Kennedy
Linda Garcia
Jackie Fedyk
David S. Moore
This blog tour stop brought to you by the lovely Takako Wright at http://www.tommiastablet.wordpress.com. She is an avid writer of multiple forms and multiple formats. Thanks for this opportunity to join your tour! And here I go answering the following questions:
My list of goals and deadlines is always growing. I’m working on promoting my novel Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams (which happens to be free for Kindle today!) by getting reviews and telling people how wonderful it is. I’m editing a different young adult manuscript, At One’s Beast. I’m also attempting to write a trilogy, starting with Camp National Novel Writing Month Project with a 25,000 word goal that is not going very well at all. I’m having plot complication difficulties and am only a couple thousand words in. I did write a connected short story that was my very first attempt as an accomplished writer at a short piece.
Ataxia and the Ravine of Lost Dreams is unique in that it is in first person (I like to do this. I thought that. I said those things. Etc.) and employs my own writing style. The story features a bizarre training landscape for the characters that is a mix of dodgeball, capture the flag, and laser tag that you won’t want to miss!
I have always liked to write and only recently have developed enough skills and knowledge to write good stuff that others would care to read (like you dear reader). I write young adult in particular because that is my favorite genre. I love dystopian fiction and have incorporated elements of a dystopian world into Ataxia. I write for myself, essentially, and since there are so many readers similar to myself I know that many others can enjoy my writing much as I have.
I have a lengthy list of novel/short story/etc possibilities in google drive that I have been developing over several years and when I am unusually inspired I grab one of those ideas and run with it. Ataxia was born from a dream I had one night about the training landscape and the story followed from there in a very natural way for me. The characters begged me to write sarcasm for them. I write what I see and I saw so many cool things I just had to write them all down. Of course, during the editing process I cut some of the unnecessary parts to make the story a more cohesive whole.
As I write I edit so that my first draft is essentially a fourth or fifth draft and quite nice. After finishing I like to let the story sit so that I won’t immediately recognize every individual sentence. Then I dive into editing, going through several rounds of painstaking readings. I enjoy marking up a physical book during this process and Createspace lets you order proof copies quite easily for this purpose. During this time I will finish the cover and formatting as well so that during proof review I can make sure both the cover and interior formatting are perfect.
If possible I’ll have some beta readers jump in to help and point out anything I might have missed and then copy edit. I copy edit multiple times so that I won’t miss anything ridiculous and voile: finished work of art (aka manuscript has turned into novel).
Selling Events: Money spent to purchase copies to sell at events and specific event fees
Book Creation: Proof copy costs and professional cover design costs
Author Resources: Memberships, workshops, and conferences
Author Platform: Domain registration and marketing materials such as business cards
Materials: Stamps and envelopes to send out manuscripts
*Estimated money recovered from sales: %37 of cost*
Rachel Author Barnard 