8 Awesome Gifts for August – Rather than the end of summer, think of this as the beginning of Christmas. I’ve got 52 free SciFi and Fantasy books for you immediately below.
. I’m sharing the best selections from two dozen authors I’ve met on Facebook. The topic: ‘Fight Scene’. Enjoy!
Countdown: Now You Get Gift 7
Relive the drama of the landing of Mars Curiosity six years ago.
Your Last Bit of Awesomeness
Woohoo! One of my favorite reviewers, Rebecca McNutt, has reviewed ‘Zombie Turkeys’. And she likes it!
This book is quite an eclectic mix of themesĀ and genres. It’s not quite horror and not quite comedy, but rather a variety of both, including some sci-fi and adventure elements, a clever and witty social commentary on modern American digital culture, and a more original story to rise from the over-saturated zombie horror genre as something that carves out its own path in the fiction world. In some ways, it reminded me of those 1980’s horror films I used to watch back in high school, and in other ways, with its themes of a modernizing, changing America, it reminded me of films like Steven Spielberg’s Gremlins.
What’s new? All my best links, memes and videos of May. I’ve got them next.
What kind of reviews for you? Perhaps you’re a try before buying kind of guy–or gal. I’ve gotten a bunch of reviews on my books. I’ll give you a free sample of them. Let me know if anything appeals to you.
More News, Reviews – News First
First things first: my favorite Facebook group, the SciFi Roundtable posted this fine image:
Meet dozens of delightful denizens of science fiction and sorcery here, in their noteworthy newsletter.
Did you hear about this science news item? Adjustable solar satellites suitable for intercepting objects:
Next, word is heard from my wonderful illustrator, Sean Patrick “Fuzzy” Flanagan:
Still more Fuzzy art:
The third’s a charm:
More News, Reviews – Your Reviews Are Here
Look what turned up in my Facebook feed:
So happy with my latest purchase!! So I was given the audiobook by Andy in exchange for my review. After listening I had to contact Andy Zach for a signed copy!! It’s hilarious!! The series all started with zombie turkey’s.š¤£ I didn’t read book 1 (yet) but didn’t need to. I even played part of the audiobook for my husband. We both laughed till we cried! Andy even added a thank you note. Fabulously fun mail in my box today! Love coming home to books! Thanks for the good laughs Andy!
This very funny tale has it all. There’s peril, adventure, mayhem, even a love story and a happy ending.
I laughed so hard that I occasionally had to stop and go back a few minutes so I could hear what I missed while I was cracking up. There were moments when I had to wipe my eyes, because I was laughing so hard I cried.
I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Rest of the Blog Tour Here, Beginning Day Three
I was excited to listen to Secret Supers and invited my 8- and 12-year-old to listen along with me. Since weāve been distance learning the last month or so, we would spend time afterwards listening to this audiobook while eating our lunch together. It was the first time either of them had listened to an audiobook and this was a great one to start them off with.
Secret Supers caught our attention quickly. The storyline kept both my 2nd and 6th grader engaged and excited to listen to it each day. It took us about a week to finish as we listened in 30 minute increments.
Secret Supers is geared towards kids. Itās fun to listen to with them, but the target audience is the tween age group. The storyline is straight to the point and easy to follow. The key characters (Jeremy, Dan, Kayla, and Aubrey) are very relatable. As a parent, I loved that it opened up dialogue with my children on realizing no matter what a person looks like, they all have their own āsuper powerā that should not be disregarded. What I loved even more is that it was my 8-year-old who pointed that out!
Teamwork was another resounding theme. Despite their disabilities and learning their new superpowers, each of the characters came together for a greater good.
Overall, we each gave Secret Supers by Andy Zach two thumbs up! And are hoping this is the beginning of a great series!
Divas With a Purpose – I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Secret Supers is such a fun story, and it has a great message. I listened with my mid-grade kiddos, one boy and one girl, and they both enjoyed the story. The target audience may be mid-grade kids, but this is the type of story that is entertaining for both kids and adults.
This book is fast-paced and just loads of fun from start to finish, and it has such a positive vibe. The kids each have a different disability, and those disabilities are handled honestly while still keeping an upbeat vibe. I love how their individual super powers gave them what they needed, and the four together complimented each other so well. The kids are all lovable and quirky, and you canāt help but root for their successes and smile when they do succeed.
Itās interesting that the story is narrated by a teenager. In fact, my kiddos noticed it right away and commented about it. It gave them a whole new appreciation for audiobooks, and theyāll both be looking for more stories narrated by Luke Castle. This young man really seems to enjoy himself as he narrates this book, and that certainly comes through. For me, some of the voices were maybe a little over the top, but my tweens had no complaints, and since this is a mid-grade story, I would say thatās the most important thing. They were thoroughly entertained by both Andy Zachās story and Luke Castleās performance, and I have to say that the two do go well together.
All in all, Andy Zach has done a terrific job with this book. The story and its characters are a positive force in a world that is all too often focused on the negative, and it all comes together for one entertaining and uplifting listen for kids of all ages.
I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
How Do You Keep Writing and Where Do You Get Ideas? I’m glad you asked because that’s what I’ll tell you.
The first rule is to desire to write. I love writing crazy ideas into books, surprising and entertaining people. I truly would do it for nothing. In fact, my net profits so far are nothing.
I loved writingZombie Turkeys. That way I got to write ridiculous chapters with weddings and zombie turkeys.
Then, I sought to top myself with My Undead Mother-in-law. I had to make a new villain, one so evil you would feel sorry for the zombies. I made a sociopath who used cyborg animals to commit crime, like capuchin monkeys, rats, and black mambas.
Now, how would I top myself again for my third book? I hated repeating myself. I needed something related, but totally beyond a mere undead mother-in-law. How about if I put the zombie family on a luxury yacht, give them a letter of marque from the President, and send them around the world fighting American enemies, public and private? That’s a start!
My undead family would be zombie pirates. But that phrase is too common. Paranormal Privateers became the title of my third book.
I got stuck writing this book. How could I keep topping myself? My paranormal privateers fought pirates, slavers, terrorists, and prevented a nuclear holocaust. What could come next?
I needed a change, a total surprise. But how do I get there? What did I want to write? I loved 1950s science fiction movies. So I wrote what I loved. That is how you break writer’s block. Return to your passion.
I can’t tell you what I did without spoiling the book, but I’ll give you some hints.
Your first hint:
Your first hint
Now, your second hint.
Your second hint.
That is your second rule to keep writing year after year: write what you love.
I finished Paranormal Privateers two months after NaNoWriMo, in January 2018. It appeared in ebook and print on Amazon and later Audible.
But what would I write next? I burned myself out on zombies. This leads to your third rule.
How Do You Keep Writing: Write Something New
Where could I go next? What else did I love writing? What did I love reading? Young adult science fiction. Everyone wants a superhero origin story. I wanted to do one of those for my fourth book.
But this had to be different, unusual. Superman got his power from birth on another planet. Batman got his power through intelligence and training. How about an ordinary hero? How about an unlikely hero? What was the least likely hero?
Now I get personal. My daughter’s been disabled with cerebral palsy since her birth. What if my hero had cerebral palsy–and his superpower didn’t take it away?
Then superheroes often come in teams. What if they were all disabled, each with a different disability and a different superpower?
