Category Archives: Local Authors

Call for Submissions: Stories of Seattle (an Anthology)

by in Local Authors and tagged ,

Call for submissions for a Seattle Anthology: Stories of Seattle (working title)

This anthology will feature what Seattle is best known for, the places and the people and the feeling of being here. The purpose of this anthology is to showcase Seattle from an insider’s perspective. The stories should center around the ‘destination’ you choose such that the reader will gain a deep understanding of what it’s like to visit that place. Any person who has never been to Seattle should be able to imagine living here from the stories. The stories do not have to be true and they can be any genre.

Stories should be approximately 200 to 1500 words each. You may submit up to three stories.

Consideration will be given first to submissions received before October 31st, 2015.

You may choose from the below destinations or pick your own that is an iconic Seattle or Seattle area destination.

Please also answer the following questions to include with your submission. We will be using some or all of the answers in the backend matter of the anthology or/and within your ‘about the author’ section at the end of your submission(s). If you would like, you can provide a short (under 100 words) author biography and a black and white author photograph to be included in your ‘about the author’ section.

  1. What do you like most about Seattle?
  2. What do you like least about Seattle?
  3. What is your favorite restaurant/café?
  4. What is your favorite book or movie that features Seattle?
  5. What is your favorite local product?
  6. What makes you a Seattleite?

If you would like to help with copy editing or provide editorial help for this anthology, please let me know.

Send to rachel(dot)author(dot)barnard@gmail.com, the author name you wish to have credited for the story, the Seattle location you chose, answers to the ‘about the author’ questions and any additional about the author information you would like (up to 100 words) as well as your submission (up to three stories). Please also sign and return This anthology-Author Contract.

Possible destinations:

Alaska Way Viaduct Market Ghost Tour
Alki Point Microsoft Campus
Archie McPhee Molly Moon
Argosy Cruise Museum of Flight
Ballard Locks Northwest Trek
Bellevue Strawberry Festival Olympic Sculpture Park
Benaroya Hall Pacific Science Center
Beoing Factory Future of Flight Paramount Theatre
Bill Gates’ House Pike’s Place
CenturyLink Field Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Chihuly Garden and Glass Ride the Ducks
Costco Seattle Aquarium
Dick’s Drive-In Seattle Great Wheel
Discovery Park Seattle Pinball Museum
Elliot Bay Book Company Smith Tower Observation Deck
EMP Snoqualmie Casino
Fremont Troll Snoqualmie Falls
Frye Art Museum Space Needle
Gas Works Park Starbucks Original
Hat N’ Boots Teatro ZinZanni
Jimi Hendrix Grave Site Twin Peaks (North Bend)
Lake View Cemetery Underground Seattle
Lake Washington Unicorn
Lighthouse at the Lime Kiln State Park UW
Lunchbox Laboratory

Submissions received:

  1. Snoqualmie ice cream, Maltby
  2. Costco, Seattle

Call for Submissions: Stories of Seattle (an Anthology)

by in Local Authors and tagged , ,

Call for submissions for a Seattle Anthology: Stories of Seattle (working title)

This anthology will feature what Seattle is best known for, the places and the people and the feeling of being here. The purpose of this anthology is to showcase Seattle from an insider’s perspective. The stories should center around the ‘destination’ you choose such that the reader will gain a deep understanding of what it’s like to visit that place. Any person who has never been to Seattle should be able to imagine living here from the stories. The stories do not have to be true and they can be any genre.

Stories should be approximately 200 to 1500 words each. You may submit up to three stories.

Consideration will be given first to submissions received before October 31st, 2015.

You may choose from the below destinations or pick your own that is an iconic Seattle or Seattle area destination.

Please also answer the following questions to include with your submission. We will be using some or all of the answers in the backend matter of the anthology or/and within your ‘about the author’ section at the end of your submission(s). If you would like, you can provide a short (under 100 words) author biography and a black and white author photograph to be included in your ‘about the author’ section.

  1. What do you like most about Seattle?
  2. What do you like least about Seattle?
  3. What is your favorite restaurant/café?
  4. What is your favorite book or movie that features Seattle?
  5. What is your favorite local product?
  6. What makes you a Seattleite?

If you would like to help with copy editing or provide editorial help for this anthology, please let me know.

Send to rachel(dot)author(dot)barnard@gmail.com, the author name you wish to have credited for the story, the Seattle location you chose, answers to the ‘about the author’ questions and any additional about the author information you would like (up to 100 words) as well as your submission (up to three stories). Please also sign and return This anthology-Author Contract.

Possible destinations:

Alaska Way Viaduct Market Ghost Tour
Alki Point Microsoft Campus
Archie McPhee Molly Moon
Argosy Cruise Museum of Flight
Ballard Locks Northwest Trek
Bellevue Strawberry Festival Olympic Sculpture Park
Benaroya Hall Pacific Science Center
Beoing Factory Future of Flight Paramount Theatre
Bill Gates’ House Pike’s Place
CenturyLink Field Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
Chihuly Garden and Glass Ride the Ducks
Costco Seattle Aquarium
Dick’s Drive-In Seattle Great Wheel
Discovery Park Seattle Pinball Museum
Elliot Bay Book Company Smith Tower Observation Deck
EMP Snoqualmie Casino
Fremont Troll Snoqualmie Falls
Frye Art Museum Space Needle
Gas Works Park Starbucks Original
Hat N’ Boots Teatro ZinZanni
Jimi Hendrix Grave Site Twin Peaks (North Bend)
Lake View Cemetery Underground Seattle
Lake Washington Unicorn
Lighthouse at the Lime Kiln State Park UW
Lunchbox Laboratory

My Favorite Indie Authors 9 – Lee French

by in Author Tuesdays, Local Authors, Miscellaneous Mondays and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indie Star Badge

Lee French

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 I met Lee French at the AFK I Heart Books event at the beginning of the year. Read about all the books I discovered here. In a world where most print books are $15 – $30, the first book in her “The Greatest Sin” Series was only $8. My favorite color used to be purple and is now blue. Most of her books feature blue in their covers and her Greatest Sin Series features quite a bit of purple. I was intrigued by the colors and the price tag and bought the book. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book as it was a world-building type fantasy and I typically go for the low-fantasy could almost happen in our world type fantasy. But I fell in love with Chavali, the main character, and have since read every single book Lee French has currently published and am eagerly awaiting more books.

I like the way French weaves fantasy into her story and makes the reader wonder, what is the greatest sin? French has a way with words and phrases that is mesmerizing. Her writing style is elegant and captivating. You can tell she is a professional and knows what she’s doing. She gives Chavali a bite to her words. I love the quick wit Chavali exhibits and the way she talks back without trying to usurp anyone or prove she’s better.

Lee French continues to deliver good writing and great story with the second and third books in The Greatest Sin series. Just like The Fallen, Harbinger was full of great quotes, quippy dialogue, fun and larger than life characters, and a female kick-butt main character who took no nonsense from anyone.

Soon to be published by Lee French is “Al-Khabar”, of which I was honored to receive as a beta read book and will give it another read before posting a five-star review.

If you purchase any of Lee French’s books, be sure to enter to win a $5 Amazon gift card from my blog’s contest, see Contest page for more details. If you post your review of 3 stars or higher you can enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card from my blog’s contest, see Contest page for more details.

links for more information:

Author Tuesdays: My Favorite Indie Authors 8 – AJ Downey

by in Author Tuesdays, Local Authors and tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indie Star Badge

AJ Downey

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I met AJ Downey at the Destination Staycation event at the AFK in Renton, WA. Her taglines and down to earth witty manner pulled me in. Her covers got my attention. When I picked up the first book in the Scacred Hearts MC Series I was hooked on AJ Downey.

 

I really like how Downey’s covers in her Scared Hearts MC Series are unique to the romance genre, they aren’t just bare chested men. Just like her stories aren’t just sex and romance, but also involve a larger story and the bigger picture of the Sacred Hearts MC.

 

I love AJ Downey’s writing style and how she describes the world in the Sacred Hearts MC. All her characters come alive and every book is interconnected with the others through the overarching story-line and the characters’ involvement in each other’s lives. I would like to mention how fantastic Downey’s character names are, very unique and purposeful.

Downey also has a knack with descriptions. I like how she describes everything: people especially. Shattered and Scarred, for example, was more sophisticated than the average book. The way Downey looks at a scene and describes it is fascinating.

links for more information:

Local Event: Destination Staycation at the AFK Renton, WA June 27

by in Local Authors, Local Eats, Local Events, Seattle Specific Saturdays and tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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8 local independent authors come together for one event. Selling and signing books all afternoon and evening.
AJ Downey, Sechin Tower, Lee French, Connie Jasperson, Lindsay Schopfer, Stephen Matlock, David Moore and Jeffrey Cook are the featured authors this time around.

Saturday, June 27
at 2:00pm – 9:00pm
Next Week · 90°F / 60°F Clear
AFK Elixirs & Eatery

3750 E Valley Rd, Renton, Washington 98055
I’m excited to see some authors I’ve been reading and meet some new ones! Who’s coming down for burgers, beers, and/or books???

The Versatile Blogger Award

by in author platform, Local Authors and tagged , | 4 Comments

versatileblogger111

 

Thank you, K. J. Farnham, for nominating me for this awesome award! Here’s a little about Ms. Farnham:

“I was born and raised in West Allis, Wisconsin, home of the Wisconsin State Fair and the Pettit National Ice Center. In 1999, I graduated from UW-Milwaukee with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. I went on to earn a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction while teaching full time. After teaching first grade and third grade for six years each, I am proud to say that I had the privilege of helping hundreds of children learn to read and write.

In 2011, my family of four relocated from Milwaukee to western Wisconsin. (We are now a family of five!) While I was sad to leave teaching, I was ready for a change and excited to explore my love for writing. I got caught up for two years writing and editing for various clients while the book that I’d started back in 2009 went untouched. I finally made it my New Year’s Resolution for 2014 to finish Click Date Repeat, and it was published on August 21, 2014 (my wedding anniversary).

Things I enjoy: travel (especially road trips), running, biking, nature walks, beach outings, coffee and tea.

Things I love: watching my children participate in various activities, reading, writing, Body Pump at the YMCA, The Walking Dead, peanut butter and coconut milk.”

For more about K.J. Farnham, visit her blog here.

 

Information about the award:

The Versatile Blogger Award is given in recognition for the great commitment, diverse talents and generosity shown by bloggers here in our community. There is so much creativity on display that it is difficult to reduce a list to only a few, but for those nominated, it is hoped that it will motivate them as well as celebrate their work to date.

Here are the rules:

  • Show the award on your blog
  • Thank the person who nominated you
  • Share seven facts about yourself
  • Nominate up to fifteen blogs
  • Link your nominees’ blogs, and let them know

Seven facts about me:

  1. I’m currently working on a series entitled “For the Love of Donuts”
  2. I absolutely love organization
  3. I severely broke my pinkie finger and it will never be straight again
  4. I like to eat tomatoes raw
  5. I read really fast
  6. I usually skim over sex scenes when I’m reading
  7. I like to geocache

And now for the bloggers I have chosen to nominate:

1. Sheri J. Kennedy – sherijkennedyriverside.wordpress.com

2. Ana is the Bookworm – anaisthebookworm.wordpress.com

3. Author Lee French – authorleefrench.com

4. Verbosity Book Reviews – verbositybookreviews.wordpress.com

St. James Espresso has New Books by Local Authors!

by in Local Authors, Local Eats, Rachel Barnard, Seattle Specific Saturdays and tagged ,

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Anywhere near Kirkland, WA and need a good book or some great coffee? You can get some books by local authors and coffee at a local shop at St. James Espresso.

I was also at last Saturday’s Release Party for Jeffrey Cook’s Third Dawn of Steam novel, the anthology Sound and Fury he has a story in, and AJ Downey’s newest release in her series.

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As both a reader and a writer I absolutely love these types of physical meet and greet and eat events. You can have one on one conversations with real writers and get signed copies of books (of which I did both). Thanks A.J. Downey, Jeffrey Cook, and the AFK for this lovely event last Saturday, can’t wait for the next author event at the AFK coming up in June.

Miscellaneous Mondays: Author Signing Event at St. James

by in Local Authors, Local Events, Miscellaneous Mondays and tagged , , ,

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Check us out! Two local authors meet at St. James Espresso in Kirkland 4/4/15.

I just finished her book and will be posting a review of her debut YA novel Sara Supernatural 4/23/15 so stay tuned.

For more information on Tiffany Belcher, check out her website: http://sarasupernatural.tateauthor.com/

 

What local authors have you met lately?

Norwescon!

by in Free Valley Publishing, Local Authors, Local Events, Rachel Barnard, Seattle Specific Saturdays and tagged

Norwescon is still going on, hop on down to get your FreeValley Publishing or Sechin Tower or Jolene Loraine’s books at our booth in the Dealer’s Room.

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Previous four photos courtesy of Kennedy J. Quinn, author of SECRET ORDER OF THE OVERWORLD

 

Did you see me at con? … Probably not because this is what I looked like.

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You still can’t see me?