Well, my “AWESOME/GREAT/SHARE” folder is HUGE because I haven’t done a highlight post in a while.  So let me break down some of the awesomesauce (yes, I did make up that word) that is floating around the internet!

41 Flavors of Body Language for Writers

I’m not sure that I know where to start with how great this article is!  As a reviewer, this article from Amazon’s Omnivoracious Blog started my girl crush on Susan J. Morris.

I’ve run across more than my fair share of authors who just can’t grasp the concept of body language.  And of course throughout the whole of my educational career I had teachers who would mark up our papers with the phrase “Show, don’t tell” but never really explain it.  Susan J. Morris explains it perfectly!

She tackles all the nitty-gritties in a fun, easy to understand way.  I especially love the list of emotions and how to portray them through body language.  Here’s a taste:

Shame
-Slumped shoulders (Don’t look at me.)
-Trouble meeting your gaze, looking down and away
-Burying her face in her hands or bowing her head (I can’t face the world right now.)

Shocked
-Hands covering her mouth, or mouth hanging open, sometimes with a gasp (If I had words, I would be saying them.)
-Freezing and staring with wide eyes and eyebrows raised (Diverting all resources toward staring.)
-Smacking a palm into his forehead (Clearly, my head isn’t working right, or I wouldn’t have seen that)

Shy
-Avoids eye contact, or has only fleeting eye contact (Eye contact means you might speak to me.)
-Keeps a fair distance from everyone, and will back away if someone steps closer (Space invaders!)
-Folded arms, head down, and other defensive body language (If I make myself small, they can’t see me.)

Check out the rest of the list at Omnivoracious and also check out Susan J. Morris’s Blog!

Paving the Road with Books

Ever wonder what happens to print books that don’t sell?  Author Tim Vicary shares his experiences with his first book “A Game of Proof“.

Tim talks about writing under his female pen name and finding an advertisement offering a signed copy of one his books which it listed as rare.

It is entirely possible that this is only an urban legend or maybe only something they do in the UK but it definitely is interesting.  And it does open up the question as to what are the options for book pulp.

Perhaps the road to hell isn’t paved with good intentions but instead with the hopes, dreams, blood, sweat, and passion of writers.

Interview with Barbara Kyle

Who doesn’t love a good historical fiction?  I certainly do!

Especially if it set in England pre-1700′s!

Barbara Kyle is the author of the “Thornleigh” series of historical fiction novels set during the Tudor era.  In this interview by Mary Tod of A Writer of History blog, she covers everything from research to series writing.

Her advice to writers of historical fiction?

“I’d say don’t be a slave to academic facts. Readers want characters who feel alive, and that life comes from you giving breath to the characters through your individual and vivid worldview, your distinct vision. That’s priceless.”

For the full interview visit the A Writer of History blog, which has tons of useful information on researching and writing your historical fiction.  You can also visit Barbara Kyle’s website .

I hope you enjoyed this entry of Around the Web!

As always you can follow the Bookworm on twitter @ErinEymard and Google+.

Tagged: A Writer of History, Around the Web, Barbara Kyle, Blood Between Queens, Mary Tod, Susan J. Morris, Tim Vicary, Writing Tips ]]> http://bookwormsfancy.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/around-the-web-6/feed/ 0 crysnia 6a00e54ed05fc2883301761639e6c1970c-800wi a-game-of-proof blood-between-queens http://bookwormsfancy.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/interview-robert-evert-follow-up/ http://bookwormsfancy.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/interview-robert-evert-follow-up/#comments Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:00:12 +0000 Erin Eymard http://bookwormsfancy.wordpress.com/?p=1383 ]]> Written by Erin Eymard

Happy Monday, Bibliophiles!  Today, I have for you the special treat of a follow-up interview with Robert Evert, author of “Riddle in Stone“.  For those of you not familiar with Robert or RIS, please check out my past interview and review.  For everyone else, please enjoy!

Welcome, Robert!  And once again thank you for giving us a little insight into your publishing experiences! At the end of the “Riddle in Stone”, you gave us a little peek into the sequel.  How is the writing process coming along?

Author of Riddle in Stone

It’s going very well, thank you for asking!

The second manuscript, Betrayal in the Highlands, is basically finished. It’s just needs to be edited.  The current projection is that it’ll be released as an e-book in August and then as an audio book sometime after that.

My publisher and I are currently discussing a third book, tentatively entitled Blood in Snow. The first draft of that manuscript is finished.  I’m just letting it sit a bit before working on it again.

We’re also waiting to see how many people buy Riddle in Stone. If enough people buy it, Diversion Books will be interested in releasing the third book in the series.  If nobody buys Riddle in Stone…well, then Edmund and his dog are dead.

No pressure there, people. Hint! Hint! Hint!

Any sneak peeks or tidbits you could share with us?

Hmmm.  What should I say???

In Betrayal in the Highlands, Edmund continues to be relentlessly pursued by the goblins, Kravel and Gurding. While hiding in a picture perfect coastal town, he falls in love with a wonderful character named, Abby—an unabashed snoop who wants to adventure. The problem is Edmund’s best friend, Pond Scum, has also fallen in love with Abby. Further, she’s now in mortal danger because of Edmund. He has to try to save her while saving himself and Pond Scum.

I really enjoy Abby. It’s nice to meet a female lead character who is as tough and smart as the male leads.  I’d like to eventually write a series just for her; but again, I need Riddle in Stone to sell well enough to keep writing.

Am I being too subtle?

Not in the least bit, Robert.  But it’s alright.  I didn’t invite you back to be subtle.  Over three months since the release of Riddle in Stone, what are some of the lessons you will take away from this experience?

Holy crap! Boy, that’d fill a book in and of itself!

I’ve learned a great deal about the writing and publishing processes.

First, writing is far more of a team endeavor than I originally thought.  

I really have to rely on the feedback of readers to see what works in my writing and what doesn’t. I’m constantly reading reviews and asking readers how certain aspects of the story could have been different and so forth. Then I have to force myself to adjust my writing style accordingly.

I’ve also learned about marketing books. Honestly, I spend more time begging people to read “Riddle in Stone” that I ever did writing it. But that’s the nature of being a small-time writer.

Every sale, every review counts.  

Seriously, a couple dozen sales could separate me from publishing another book or spending my life daydreaming about my characters. Marketing and promotion are THAT important to new writers, which is why I appreciate you letting me come here and say, “Riddle in Stone” over and over again. By the way, “Riddle in Stone” is available where most e-books are sold for $2.99.

In a recent blog post, you mentioned sitting next to a famous author on a flight and he/she gave you marketing advice.  Can you share some of that with our readers who may not have read your blog? (Readers you can visit Robert’s blog here for a more in depth answer)

She was really helpful, not just by entertaining me on a very long flight from Oslo to New York, but also by telling me about what publishers want from new writers. We talked for several hours about the need for writers to have a marketing plan and a well-established presence on social media.  It was a real eye-opener.  I thought I just had to write a decent story. Evidently, I have to be social as well. Go figure!

Speaking of marketing, when will you get that twitter account?

Ugh! You know, I have a website that I rarely update, a blog that I post on every so often, facebook, G+.   I can’t take anymore social media.  I can’t!!!  What can I possibly say on a minute by minute basis that anybody would remotely care about?

Buy Riddle in Stone! Buy Riddle in Stone! Buy Riddle in Stone!

Buy Riddle in Stone or Edmund and his dog die!!!!

I think I’ll draw the line at twitter.

What are you currently reading?

In print, I’m reading Christine Green’s Deadly Errand, Simon Brett’s The Poisoning in the Pub, and Jasper Kent’s Thirteen Years Later. On audio, I’m listening to a book on ancient history. I can’t recall the title. On my computer, I’m reading a bunch of manuscripts other new and aspiring writers have been sending me.

So much to read, so little time…

The cover for Riddle in Stone was one of my favorite covers ever.  Any cover ideas for the sequel?

Robert Evert’s Riddle in Stone

Well, thanks!  I’ll pass that along to the art department at Diversion Books. I’m sure I owe much of the success I’ve had to them and their wonderful cover.

I always have ideas for covers, but the problem is when you’re a nobody writer, you don’t really get to design your cover. You can’t say, “I want a painting of this and that and these colors.”

I tried with Riddle in Stone; but they basically laughed at me.  Instead, you get covers created from existing pictures.

Don’t get me wrong, the art people are wonderful at putting things together. However, you can only do something with the pictures that are available.  That creates some problems for my books.

You see, my characters aren’t really typical.  Edmund is middle aged, balding man who has one-eye. Most of the available artwork involves burly men with tattoos and their shirts torn off.

And, oh, they also seem to all wear really tight trousers!  

Don’t know why.

None of that fits my books. So we are limited in what covers we can make. But I’m sure the art people will do something wonderful for the second book. Fingers crossed!

By the way, if any of you are members of Goodreads, please visit the site for my book, Riddle in Stone. Riddle in Stone was put on several lists—including “best cover” and “books you want other people to know about.”  If you have time, please “vote” for Riddle in Stone.

Riddle in Stone. Riddle in Stone. Riddle in Stone.  Geez! How many times can I say that without losing all respect for myself?  I feel like such a whore.

What character/scene/book do you wish you had written?

Hmmm.  There’s so much that I could talk about here. I have tons of ideas for future books.

I suppose if my book, which I refuse to utter it’s name again, doesn’t sell enough to warrant another sequel… I think my next project will be a satire about higher education. I’m a faculty member at a major university.  It’d be interesting to write something about my odd coworkers and insane administration.  I’m tenured.  I can do what I want now!

Jason Bourne, James Bond, or Ethan Hunt?

To sleep with or just cuddle?

Personally, I think James Bond is overdone. But I suppose that’s the purpose of those books. He’s almost like a cartoon or a superhero.

I enjoyed the Jason Bourne series and Mission Impossible. So they’re both possibilities.

The issue I have is that they are both good-looking guys with incredible skills.  I just don’t relate to those kinds of characters. I like the under-achieving losers who don’t fit in.

However, if I have to answer, I’ll go with Ethan Hunt—but only because I keep getting mistaken for Tom Cruise.  But that’s a story for a different blog post!

Just a closing plea!

If you like somewhat dark fantasies and need something to read this summer, please consider my book. You can read the first chapter on Amazon.

If you’ve already read it, please write a review wherever you can—even if you think it sucks. Every review helps, especially on Amazon.com, Goodreads.com, and BarnesandNoble.com!

If you’ve already reviewed it, please mention your review to your friends on Facebook, G+, Goodreads, and so forth.

The life you save maybe Edmund’s!

Thanks for having me, Erin!  It’s always a pleasure!

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• Smashwords Studies Its Sales
• Sanctuary by Kris Kramer (Book Review)
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Sanctuary by Kris Kramer

Sanctuary by Kris Kramer

Set in 9th century Britain, Sanctuary follows the journey of almost priest Daniel after a mysterious stranger saves his life during a viking raid. Daniel believes the stranger is a sign from God. The stranger disagrees but Daniel follows anyway as he is desperate to find his faith. Little does Daniel know that he is a pawn in a much larger game, one in which he has caught the attention of a very powerful demon.

Off the bat, I must say this is an exceptional debut book. I was fearful at times that it would develop into a travelogue. But Kris Kramer successfully avoids this pitfall and instead we are treated to a wonderful story that I would declare just as interesting and enjoyable as Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth though not nearly as daunting.

The characters are well written and believable. Though there is a religious nature to Daniel’s quest, the purpose is not to be preachy or overtly religious by rather to provide a background to his struggles. Daniel is a leaf in the wind trying desperately to get his bearings.

My one gripe about the book is the prologue. When I was given sample chapters to decide if I was going to review it, the prologue was not included. To be honest, if it had been, I might not have read the book. Most prologues add nothing to the book that couldn’t be added in small bits throughout the first couple of chapters. I feel that this particular prologue could be tweaked and much better used as an epilogue.

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• Prologues?
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• Author Interview – Anne Marie
• Embustero by Scott Cleveland
• Author Interview – A.T.H. Webber

Ron Vitale, Author of “Cinderella’s Secret Diary”.

In today’s guest post, author Ron Vitale shares how he fell in love with the written word.  In “Cinderella’s Secret Diary: Lost” Ron writes about what happens after happily ever after.  You can visit his blog at www.ronvitale.com. 

Growing up, a friend of mine introduced me to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and taught me how to play Dungeons & Dragons. I devoured Tolkien’s trilogy and happened to be living at a fun time for fantasy literature. The Dragonlance series was all the rage and I spent many long hours reading through the books and then roleplaying my Dungeons & Dragons games using the modules to have my friends and brother go through the adventures.

Back in the mid-80s we had pencils, paper, dice and lots of imagination.

But none of this truly sparked my inspiration to loving and reading science fiction. I want to tell that story. I am known for my fantasy young adult books, but I have written some science fiction and am a big fan. Of course, these days, with limited time, I don’t get as much chance to read sci-fi as I would like. I focus reading more on the fantasy side of the fence since that’s more relevant to my writing.

Back when I was around 13 years old, a relative of mine gave me Isaac Asimov’s Foundation Series for a birthday present. When I look back, I would say that those books and all the other Asimov books I read over the next decade marked a turning point for me. I loved fantasy, but science fiction opened new worlds (literally) to me. I have been a diehard Star Wars fan since the first movie came out, but Asimov’s work broadened my taste in reading and first introduced me to the actual man behind the books.

I read as much as I could get my hands on, falling in love with Asimov’s style, his easy going prose and his thought-provoking topics. His robot series are still one of my favorite books because of the moral complexities woven throughout the stories. Years before anyone really had thought about this, Asimov wrote about the effects of a robot society on people. How would we adapt to being mostly surrounded by robots? Would we become alienated from other people? Being a young teenager and reading Asimov’s stories caused me to question the effects technology would have on us as well as sparked great hope within me.

I dreamed of a future in which I could be a writer and that the science in the fiction that I read would one day become reality. But most importantly, Asimov’s books acted as a gateway. Through Asimov, I stumbled on Niven’s work (Ringworld and The Integral Trees stand out in my memory), Heinlein’s and Clarke’s. From there, I became a subscriber of Asimov’s monthly magazine and then Science Fiction & Fantasy.

I read, read and I read some more.

I love reading and as I matured and went to high school and then college my reading diversified. Professionally I had become an English major, focusing on the Romantics, but in my leisure time I would read fantasy and science fiction.

This all took place before Rowling’s Harry Potter and Meyer’s Twilight series. I have read The Washington Post article that cites that 25% of Americans haven’t read one book in a year. That disturbs me. With mobile devices and tablets great tools for unlocking millions of books, I do not understand why someone would not take advantage of this opportunity. How many games of Angry Birds can one play? With many indie authors as myself offering free or inexpensive books, the world has changed, and although the choices have become overwhelming, there are still more great books out there than I could ever read in a lifetime.

I look back and my love of books started from a simple decision: 

Someone gave me a book as a gift.

With the great diversity that is now available for such low costs, I would encourage people to give books or ebooks to people as gifts. When a new book comes out that I think my wife might like, I buy it on Amazon and it shows up on her Kindle Fire. How easy is that? To me, it’s about creativity, imagination and the solace that a book brings me from the stress and rush of the day-to-day world.

Read. If I could pass that message onto my kids and they were to listen, I’d be most satisfied that they would have a rich inner life. If you’re a reader, then spread the word: Give books to your family and friends. With many ebooks being under $3, that’s a great deal. Now I’m off. I have a date with A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness and need to get going. But before I do go, could you do me a favor? Share your story in the comment section. How did you become a reader?

Ron Vitale is the author of the dark fantasy novel Cinderella’s Secret Diary who hopes that his daughter will grow up to find her own voice and not allow others to dictate who and what she can be.

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I really liked A Swarming of Bees, by Theresa Tomlinson, and have no hesitation in awarding five stars. The subject matter, the presentation, the writing style: all of this came together just right for my taste. And it had a couple of maps, which always please me. These help the reader become oriented in the community of Whitby, called here by the Old English name of Streonshalh. For those who are not familiar with English geography, Whitby is on the east coast, in the modern county of Yorkshire, looking across the North Sea towards Scandinavia. Somewhat later than this story, it would be part of the Viking-dominated region called the Danelaw (as in The Bone Thief), but at this time it was in Northumbria, a large swathe of land ruled from Bamburgh.

The (Much Newer) Bamburgh Castle from the beach

The historical setting is in the immediate aftermath of the Synod of Whitby, in 664AD. This was a key moment in British Christianity when the fledgling native church, which had been isolated from Europe after the collapse of the Roman empire, was brought back under the authority of Roman Catholicism.

Now, many today might regret the loss to the church of the Celtic flavour of faith that this caused, but at the time, church unity was considered more important than insisting on an opinion. Individual Christian leaders might (and did) regret the loss, and expressed it by withdrawal to isolated communities, but there was no church schism resulting from this event.

Anyway, A Swarming of Bees has this event, and the resulting shakeup of church leadership, as part of the background. But for many of the individuals who are central, the choice is not between Roman and Celtic Christianity. Rather, it is between any sort of Christianity and their continuing allegiance to the older beliefs. The British Isles were – and in many ways still are today – a meeting place for many different styles of life and faith.

This intersection of culture, and the different ways people approach it, is at the heart of Theresa’s book. Abbess Hild, leader of the religious community, is willing and able to bridge the potential gap of religious experience in order to integrate the community rather than divide it. She is an inspirational figure, successfully threading the difficult line between compassion and compromise.

The plotline is basically a murder mystery, with the detective role played by the abbey herbalist Fridgyth. She personifies many of the tensions and insecurities of the age, and I found her an endearing character who it was easy to identify with. Along with that, the frequent references to, and recipes for, herbal and folk medicines give depth to her experience. Regarding the murder mystery, there are some echoes here of Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, though the motives here reflect the turbulent political and social setting of the times, rather than the religious extremism that Eco likes to target. As such, the story, and the motives of the various protagonists, are much more accessible to a modern audience.

Mixed farming and moorland in the north of England

But the mystery is only part of the subject matter, and only part of the charm of this book. More prominent are the everyday difficulties and triumphs faced by the inhabitants of Whitby – both within and without the abbey walls. It is a time when plague ravages the land, leaving whole communities decimated, orphaned, and struggling in its aftermath.

This lends a sense of perspective to the grim events within the abbey – for many lay people living nearby, there are much more urgent survival challenges. In any age it is easy to interpret drastic events as divine commentary on momentous, perhaps questionable, decisions, and this era was no exception.

Theresa blends poetry in with her prose, faithfully mirroring the Old English alliterative style – I personally found this a great source of delight. It is a style which held sway in this country and elsewhere in Europe for a long time, before (many years later) being supplanted by the accentual and rhyme-dominated patterns which are much more familiar to many people. But in the world of Streonshalh, the traditional patterns of verse are alive and well, and used powerfully and beautifully by Caedmon and others to bridge the pre-Christian and Christian views of creation.

All in all, a very satisfying book to have read – and which I am sure I will re-read in a while. Five stars, definitely.

You can visit Richard’s website by clicking here.

J Leigh, author of “Way Walkers: University”, was kind enough to grant me an interview after I reviewed her “Choose Your Own Adventure” type book/game for Examiner.com.

So Leigh, for those who may not have yet played “Way Walkers: University” or who have not read my review, can you give us a short synopsis?

In a metaphysics driven society where freewill is law, your choices are your own as you attend the most prestigious of magical schools. Learn to master psychic Ability, fight monsters, argue with an Angel, cut classes, befriend unusual races, chase ghosts, and navigate through an exciting city full of in depth characters in an exquisitely detailed world.

Are you planning a sequel?

I have several novels in the works, as well as the “Way Walkers University: II”. The first traditional novel in the Way Walkers world has been signed by Red Adept Publishing, and should come out sometime early 2014.

What inspires you to write?

Life? I know that’s the cliche answer, but it really is true. I’m a very character-driven writer, and I love just looking at the people around me, and wondering how they would react if their world was different. I love the mysteries of life, and love conjuring-up unconventional answers for my characters to discover.

What are you currently reading?

“Artifical Absolutes” by Mary Fan.

How long did it take you from concept to print to publish “Way Walkers: University”?

Fifteen years.

Do you have any advice for new authors?

Find balance between taking constructive criticism and becoming too critical of your own work. Learn to recognize what’s solid and good about your style and what to let go of to make your writing better. It’s hard to learn, but it will help you sleep better at night.

Just for Fun

Dark Secret? I’m dyslexic. This makes spell check the single greatest invention in the universe for me.

Favorite Jell-O Flavor? Butterscotch pudding.

Midnight Craving?  Salted caramel peanut butter truffles.  OMG they are good. (The Bookworm agrees.  *nom* *nom* *nom*)

If you were stranded on a desert island and could have one book, what would it be?  Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

You can also check out J Leigh’s blog for the most up to date Way Walkers information!

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But the biggest news is that we will be making the move over to our own site:   http://www.bookwormsfancy.com.  I am in the process of transferring over everything here to the new site.  It is taking longer than anticipated but that is because I tend to be a perfectionists on stupid little things.  When the move is final, we will be having a couple of giveaways of books and gift cards to celebrate!  So stay tuned for that!

Now onto the interview!

The Lady and the Unicorn

Anne Marie, author of the short story La Dame à la Licorne

Anne Marie is a writer of short stories who grew up in Denver, Colorado and happens to love the same Jell-O that I do.  She contributes to a blog of short stories called The Cimmerian Tales as well as writing on her own blog.  You can also follow her on twitter @annemariewrites.

Bookworm:  Anne Marie give the readers the elevator pitch for your story.

Anne Marie:  “Danger hides in the darkest of places

Always obey your father. That’s what Katherine’s done her entire life. She studies dead languages and practices knife-throwing. Now Pappa’s listening to a virtual stranger, and she’s convinced the stranger cares more about killing monsters than her own safety. Pappa won’t even tell her what they’re going after. He says it’s because if she knows too much, then she’s tainted by that knowledge and it will spoil the hunt.

Can she trust Pappa’s judgment or leave her future in the hands of the stranger? With only her wits to protect her, she joins them in the most terrifying night of the year.”

Bookworm:  What inspired La Dame à La Licorne?

Anne Marie:  I was fortunate enough to see the set of amazing tapestries — La Dame à la licorne — in the Musée national du Moyan Âge. If you haven’t gone, put it on your bucket list! They are amazing. So, it was those tapestries plus an inherent desire to bend a myth. I’ll have to tackle the other side of those tapestries, that of the lady and the lion, someday.

Bookworm:  So are you the Lady or the Unicorn?

Anne Marie:  Neither. I’m more the doctor than any other character in this particular short story. Kathrine’s much more trusting than I’ll ever be, and her Pappa does what he does out of a sense of duty, not because he enjoys it. Dr. Aiguille genuinely enjoys the science and recording his findings. I adore research!

Bookworm:  What inspires you to write?

Anne Marie:  Anything that makes me feel in my cold, dead heart meats. >:D But, I believe it’s really important to fill the creative well. Travel. Try new foods. Drive down a road to find the end. Kiss someone in the rain, but not like Spider-Man or you’ll get water up your nose.

Bookworm:  What are some of your other works?

Anne Marie:  I have a short story, “A Heart Full of Love,” in the anthology Spirit Legends: of Ghosts and Gods.

Bookworm:  Favorite book by an indie/small press author?

Anne Marie:  Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

Bookworm:  What are you currently reading?

Anne Marie:  The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

Bookworm:  What advice do you have for new authors?

Anne Marie:  Read everything you can get your hands on. In your genre. Out of your genre. Then turn yourself about and go out and live!

Just for Fun

Favorite Literary Character:  Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights

Which character/book/scene do you wish you had written:  Chapter Ten in “The Replacement” by Brenna Yovanoff. It’s powerful and, for me, it’s the core of the entire book.

James Bond, Ethan Hunt, or Jason Bourne:  Julie D’Aubigny

Dark Secret:  I really really really really want a pet velociraptor.

Favorite Jell-O flavor:  The ones made with vodka

Midnight craving:  Dark chocolate and ginger

If you were stranded on a desert island and could have one book with you, which one would it be:  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

Favorite literary Terry:  Terri Clark

Thanks so much to Anne Marie for granting us this interview!  All of you should definitely check out her blog.  You can also follow her on twitter @annemariewrites.

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I know I’ve been promising my wonderful wife here that I would give her a book review. And because I’m good at getting things done in a timely manner, I’m finally getting around to it about three months later.

Falling Kingdoms is the first book in a series set in the land of Mytica. At the center of this land are the three kingdoms of Auranos, Paelsia, and Limeros. Auranos, to the north, is a fruitful land where everyone is prosperous, the king is kind, and everyone is blissfully ignorant. Limeros, to the south, is also apparently fruitful, everyone is not really mentioned as far as prosperity goes, the king is somewhat cruel and iron fisted, and the people are drilled into a sort of religious obedience. Paelsia, smack in the middle, is nearly barren, the chief (apparently, they don’t get a king) is a gluttonous shaman, and the souls of the people are almost as barren as their land is becoming.

The characters in the book are almost as one-dimensional and flat as the landscape. The king of Auranos, Cordullin, is kind hearted yet firm if need be, a family man, and naive. The King of Limeros, Gaius, is (surprise, surprise) the polar opposite of Cordullin. He is cold, somewhat tyrannical, and constantly vying for more power. Chief Basilius of Paelsia is content to live off of his people while they toil away in their vineyards, keeping them at bay by promises of magical abilities that he never shows them. But these are just the rulers and they spend a lot of time in the shadows.

The main characters are a little more developed, but not by much. Emilia, the oldest daughter of Cordullin, is meant to become the next ruler. However, she is sick and dying. Cleo, the younger daughter of Cordullin, is at least better than the usual trope of the spoiled princess. She is caring and often conflicted about her emotions. She is sweet. But for as much as she’s shown to be an enlightened young lady, she is prone to making rash, reckless decisions.

Jonas, the brother of a plot device murdered in the first chapter, is driven by revenge (shock) and a desire to kill all nobles and take their riches. Magnus and Lucia are the children of Gaius, and seem to have the most depth to their characters. Magnus, through most of the book, is trying to reject the role that his father is setting for him. The author goes out of her way to point out the “mask” that Magnus wears, except when around his sister. His sister, like Cleo, is shown to be very caring, even to her father, who is shown through much of the book to be very distant and harsh.

Of course, there are other characters, but many of them feel like nothing more than plot devices to further the progression of the story. Characters seem to just go along, until they are needed for something. Theon, Cleo’s bodyguard, is the best example of this. He is sworn to his duty, despite Cleo’s constant need to disobey and she is constantly running from him even after she knows her life is in danger. Theon chases her down, they admit their love for each other, and then he dies. Specifically in that order. Idea of bodyguard and princess, an idea that could have been used to such great ends, becomes an awkwardly narrated love triangle that ends in almost the same fashion as Cleo’s older sister, Emilia.

At the beginning of the book, Jonas’ brother, Tomas, quickly escalates a haggling between Cleo’s betrothed- (who exists almost solely as an excuse to force Cleo to want the bodyguard) and the wine seller father. Tomas enters the story, gets angry well beyond the excusable limit for a character that has just been introduced with no real story, and is murdered.

Forced plot advancement plagues this book. There is another part where Emilia tells Cleo, who prior to this has been repeatedly described as a non-believer in magic, about a legend of a witch in Paelsia with grape seeds infused with earth magic that can heal anyone. Cleo suddenly believes in magic and rushes off to the very land that houses the family of the plot device that she witnessed other plot device murder. This whole escapade comes to feel like nothing more than a reason for Cleo to get captured and add fuel to the political fire.

Another example is that King Gaius has another, illegitimate son. This son is portrayed as Gaius’ favorite and Magnus’ rival. No sooner than this looks as if it will flesh out character interplay between the king’s siblings, he is murdered as a blood sacrifice to Basilius, who at this point has not really been heard from and has had very little to do with the overall story.

I’m sure by now, you have noticed the occasional mention of magic. Magic–or elementia– is the crux of Lucia’s character, both in the prologue, and actual development, as well as being the reason Cleo does something stupid (once again, after she had been portrayed as a non-believer). The existence of magic is linked to the briefly, and extremely convolutedly, explained mythos of Mytica.

Magic, like some of the characters, only exists to justify the presence or actions of others. There are watchers (god-like beings) who take the form of hawks in the mortal world (they live in Sanctuary–seriously?), and are looking for the lost Kindred (these are some rocks, apparently).

There are a lot of ideas going on in this story. A lot of them can be good with a little fleshing out (magic and the watchers), and some of them had potential to be great: Magnus and Lucia’s relationship was on the road to being a mirror of Ceasare and Lucretia Borgia’s, and the anguish that Magnus felt over feelings that he knew were wrong added a depth to probably the best character in the book. However, this idea is derailed with certain revelations of parentage that bring Magnus around to be more of a budding imitation of his father.

About halfway through, I realized that the only reason I kept reading was that I wanted to see how much of a trainwreck this story would become. And then I thought that maybe I was being overly critical. After all, Falling Kingdoms is a Young Adult novel. That excuse, however, doesn’t hold up when presented with books like The Hunger Games or The Inheritance series. There are many authors of Young Adult fiction that manage to craft deep, interesting characters and that can weave a tale that leaves you wanting more. At the end of the day, I felt much like a Paelsian citizen: disgruntled and ready for a change.

Mr. Bookworm gives it 2.5 out of 5 stars.

NB:  Those of you familiar with the site, will know that we have a policy of not doing a review for a book if we find we are going to give it less than 3 stars.  I would like to further clarify that this is strictly for indie/small press authors.  Morgan Rhodes is far from indie/small press.  She’s has put out enough books to know better.  I trust the judgement of Mr. Bookworm and if this is the kind of quality that Penguin is looking for, then I am not surprised that they bought Author Solutions.

Mr. Bookworm has been dealing with Mrs. Bookworm for almost a decade now.  If you like heavy metal or beer, you might be interested in checking out his blog MoshnHops.

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Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you my interview with Andrew Webber, author of Erasure.  After doing the review of Automaton and interview of Cheryl Davies, she recommended A.T.H. Webber to get in contact with me.  It just so happened that when he did, I was testing out Google Forms as a basis for the start of interviews.  He kindly offered to test it out with me.  Here is the interview that spawned from it.

Bookworm:  Thank you so much for helping me out with the Google form!  So you were first brought to my attention thanks so Cheryl’s recommendation of your book, Erasure.  Can you give us a brief synopsis?

Andrew Webber:  What if we are fundamentally supposed to be forgotten? In this time of hyper-connectedness and society’s love of all things online,  what if we are leaving a data picture for future archaeologists far more detailed and intimate than any mosaic adorning a Roman wall?

What if that data and the details of a life keep the individual from moving on to an after life, trapped in a middle ground until the last shred of existence erodes from history?

What if there was a group of people who believed the above to be true, and spent their lives driven only by the desire to expedite the middle ground – erasing everything that might save their memory?

The book follows the Narrator as he/she is faced with the dealings of a data-driven underworld bent on removing people from history, by any means. The Narrator’s partner is dead, and helped by the mysterious and slightly broken “Bammer”, the Narrator embarks on a quest to find the reasons why She was killed.

Erasure is by no means a geek-fest, nor is it even close to sci-fi.

It is a work of fiction, to be sure, but ALL of the concepts introduced to the story are real, and involve anyone with an internet connection and a credit card.

Bookworm:  What inspired you to write Erasure?

Webber:  It was an idea that had been bouncing around in my head for a while – but the catalyst for actually getting it down was:

 A friend of mine died a couple of years ago. Melanie died of a heart attack – she was thirty years old.

 She is STILL on facebook though, and people regularly tag her in photo’s, as a result Melanie continues to pop up in my time line.

 Around the time I started writing the book, her death was still a recent thing – and relationships being what they are on FaceBook (particularly for me as an expat, peeping in at the lives of friends and family all over the world in one convenient blue and white place) I found myself consistently thinking as Mel popped up on my feed: “Oh, haven’t heard from her in a while, I wonder what she has been up to… wait..”.

 Then the crushing realisation that she hadn’t actually been up to anything would invariably come steaming into my thoughts.

 It got me thinking about whether being so intimately remembered after death might affect ones transition – keep us tethered here, as it were.

 I am a fiction writer, and part of my job is to ask such questions in order to see where answers take me. While I don’t BELIEVE that the whole afterlife thing might be an issue, I do believe that the resulting questions created an interesting concept for a book.

 Bookworm:  From idea to print, how long did it take you to publish?

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Marian Allen, author of Force of Habit

Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you my interview with Marian Allen, author of Force of Habit, which I recently reviewed.

Bookworm:  Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!  So I read an interview where you stated that Force of Habit first started off as a Star Trek fan fiction. Tell me about the early drafts.

Marian Allen:  I was a “pantser” when I wrote fan fiction, and they’re pretty loopy. They can be found here. So, to all intents and purposes, the early draft was a story, published in Devra Langsam’s Masiform-D fanzine.

When I decided to expand the story and make it an original, I knew I wanted to change the ST characters so they weren’t the ST characters anymore. Bel was mine and Tetra was created by my pal Jane Peyton, author of the Callie London’s Vampire Adventures series (she graciously and generously gave me the right to use the character). The more I tweaked the ST characters, the more they became themselves.

Bookworm:  What inspires you to write?

Allen:  What doesn’t? No, really, EVERYTHING is about writing!

Bookworm:  What was it like working for the Red Cross?

Allen:  Very gratifying. I loved working for an organization that existed to help people. My fellow employees were among the most selfless people I’ve ever known. We also worked with far more volunteers than paid staff, and that was a beautiful thing.

I worked in Accounting (detective work with numbers!) and Youth Services (kids doing things for retirement homes and shelters). Before that, I was a temp in Emergency Response and then in Service to Military Families. I met my husband through a presentation I did for Red Cross at a school. When I was expecting, I said if I had a girl I was going to name her Clara Barton Allen. (Luckily for her, I didn’t.)

Bookworm:  What are some of your other works?

Allen:  The SAGE trilogy: Book 1 – THE FALL OF ONAGROS, Book 2 – BARGAIN WITH FATE, Book 3 – SILVER AND IRON. Book 1 is already out and the other two will be out soon.

I’ll have a science fiction novel out soon, and I’m doing pre-submission edits on a New Adult Paranormal and edits for a new edition of EEL’S REVERENCE, a fantasy.

I self-published four collections of short stories: LONNIE, ME AND THE HOUND OF HELL; TURTLE FEATHERS; THE KING OF CHEROKEE CREEK; and MA’S MONTHLY HOT FLASHES: 2002-2007.

Bookworm:  Your list of awards is longer than my sister-in-law’s police record! What award meant the most to you?

Allen:  The “award” that meant the most to me wasn’t anything official. I wrote a short-short character study of my mother-in-law. When she read it, she said, “How do you know? How do you KNOW how I feel and what I do before anybody gets here on Sunday?” I said, “You told me, a little bit at a time over the years.” She dropped a tear or two and said, “I didn’t think anybody listened.” I’ll never have an award that means more to me than that.

Bookworm:  What do you read for leisure?

Allen:  Anything except erotica. I read mostly mystery, fantasy, science fiction, humor, classics, literary, and non-fiction.

Bookworm:  What is your current work in progress?

Allen:  I told you what I’m editing. As for new writing, I’ve signed up to do Story A Day in May, so I’m not starting anything.

Bookworm:  Favorite book by an indie/small press author?

Allen:  TROLL OR DERBY by Red Tash is certainly one of my favorites. PACKAGED by Leslie R. Lee is another. In non-fiction, there’s Joanna Foreman’s wonderful memoir, THE KNOW-IT-ALL GIRL. Jane Peyton’s Callie London, of course. There are just too many excellent books being published by indies and small presses to list them all!

Bookworm:  What are you reading now?

Allen:  WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, the first of Jane Peyton’s Callie London books.

Bookworm:  What advice do you have for new authors?

Allen:  I always give the same advice whenever I’m asked: Never give up! Never surrender!

Bookworm:  How has the publishing world changed since you started writing?

Allen:  When I started, there was no internet. Yes, there was electricity. “Publishing” for a genre writer meant getting a contract on a book from an agent and/or a Big Name Publisher. There were small presses, too, but they usually specialized in non-fiction, poetry, or literary fiction. Now…. THE WORLD IS OURS!!!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaa!!!!!

Just for fun

Midnight craving?

Peanut butter and banana sammiches.

Dark secret?

Regency Romances.

James Bond, Ethan Hunt, or Jason Bourne?

Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo of NCIS.

Favorite Jell-O?

Lime.

Favorite literary character?

George MacDonald Fraser’s Harry Flashman. Of course, that’s today. Another day, it’ll be somebody else.

Bibliophiles!  I command you by Grabthar’s hammer, by the suns of Warvan, check out Marian Allen’s Blog!  Also feel free to check out our review of Marian Allen’s Force of Habit!

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