I’ve got a few Amazon copies of Rogue Skies to giveaway. Are you in the US and interested in an exciting collection of sci-fi and fantasy novels? Click the links below to redeem your copy of Rogue Skies. You’ll get over 20 books for FREE!
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/77cc0a991449fa11-hetkaeqg
https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/e01ed4cd29225457-t6bec31g
One-click today and start reading!
The price goes up on Sunday, September 22nd, so snatch your copy now at only 99c!
https://books2read.com/rogue-skies
Cunning heroines, bold heroes, magic, space, and mayhem—transport yourself to new worlds of limitless adventure and excitement in this page-turning limited edition collection from some of today’s best-selling Science Fiction and fantasy authors.
Fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, John Scalzi or Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Tamora Pierce, Lois Lowry, and Maria V. Snyder will find themselves transported to weird realms and epic otherworlds in this reality-optional boxset.
Rogue Skies features my prequel novel Curse of the Drakku: Origins and is the only place where you can buy this addition to my latest fantasy series. For .99, you can’t go wrong! Get your copy of Rogue Skies today!
Hey everyone, I have an awesome opportunity for you to get an EXCLUSIVE novel of mine from an amazing boxed-set of science fiction and fantasy novels.
Transport yourself to new worlds where dark magic clashes with witty witches, diabolic demons, feisty fae, and sexy shifters. Or travel through time and space with cosmic spies, space thieves, and telepathic pirates. Add in a dash of Victorian heroes and inhuman soldiers, and you have a one-of-a-kind science fiction and fantasy collection of intoxicating proportions.
Fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman, Anne McCaffrey, John Scalzi or Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, Tamora Pierce, Lois Lowry, and Maria V. Snyder will find themselves transported to weird realms and epic otherworlds in this reality-optional boxset.
Rogues and Rebels, Magic and Mayhem, Futures and Fantasy—there’s no limit to the excitement that awaits when you turn the pages of this collection of spellbinding adventures from some of today’s best-selling Science Fiction and Fantasy authors.
This collection will feature a prequel novel to my latest Curse of the Drakku fantasy series available nowhere else but here! Not only will you get this exclusive novel, but you get 24 additional science fiction and fantasy novels all for only .99!
Even if you don’t intend on reading all the books, this will be the only way to get my prequel novel for the discounted price of .99.
Sound like a deal? Please consider pre-ordering Rogue Skies on Amazon, Apple Books, or Nook today!
Still not convinced to give it a try? We’re offering a FREE GIFT of 19 stories if you pre-order Rogue Skies. All you need to do is follow this link to get the info.
25 novels. 19 stories. All for .99? Get yours today!
I’m pretty excited to share that I’ve bundled the Forgotten Chronicles Trilogy into one volume and you can pre-order it for only $2.99.
If you’ve yet to try my young adult sci-fi action/adventure series, there’s no better time to try it out than now. For the cost of one book, you get all three novels in one bundle.
The Forgotten Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy features the books The Selection, Rise of 
the Forgotten, and The War For Truth and comes out December 15th. If you like fast-paced action set on a human colonized alien world where the natural dangers are almost as bad as the human ones, check out The Forgotten Chronicles and pre-order the trilogy for only $2.99 (after the 15th it goes to $4.99). Click the image or link above and start a new adventure today!
Several excellent authors I know are in a massive boxed set aiming for a USA Today bestseller status. If that’s not enough to consider their books, just think of the value you get when you buy their collection of over 20 paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels for only .99! Though I’m not normally a reader of paranormal romance, I did pre-order my copy. I know several of the authors and I know they write amazing books, so I figured why not give it a shot? At .99, how could I lose? Even if one of the novels was all that I liked, it was still only .99.
Please consider adding your support by sharing their set or pre-ordering your copy today. It would mean a lot to me to help them out and who knows, you might find a new favorite author to read!
You can get Rite to Reign at all major ebook retailers by clicking the image above or by going here.
Hey readers and fellow authors, some talented author friends of mine are creating a new anthology that I wanted to share. The title of the project is not yet finalized, however they are taking submissions from now through November. If you’re interested, check out the details below.
Call for Submissions for an anthology highlighting the capabilities and contributions of disabled people in science fiction. This will be a charity anthology with the proceeds and any royalties donated to the Special Olympics. We welcome involvement from disabled authors or those that would be interested in beta reading the final anthology.
Genre: is geared toward science fiction, however, science fantasy, urban fantasy, space opera, other types of fantasy and speculative fiction are also acceptable as long as we’re focused on now or the future instead of ancient history. Other planets and non-human characters are acceptable. Dark fantasy/SF and horror are also acceptable as long as disabled heroes are not turned into victims.
Theme: The main characters must be disabled and succeed through their own efforts and without normalizing (i.e. undoing their disabilities with technology). This book is about celebrating the people who exist today and making them represented in the future.
Age level: should be no racier than PG 13 and YA is not precluded but we will not be targeting a YA or underage audience.
Length: 1500-7500 words
Deadline: All submissions should be received no later than November 30th, 2018 with expectation of a February 2019 publication date.
Send submissions to stephanieebarr@Dragonfaeriecreative.org with the subject “Disabled Heroes.”
Format: Word .doc/.docx file, 1″ margins, 12-14pt Times (or other serif font), double-spaced, contact info and word count on first page, running header w/name, title, page #, etc. The usual stuff. And please include your name and the story title in the filename. I will accept reprints if you (a) have the rights and (b) it fits our criteria.
Please edit your story carefully. We’re all busy indie authors and will not take the time to help you rewrite your work into something that works for us. Please make an effort to send something in finished form that meets the criteria we’ve set.
Title and cover are not yet finalized.
You can find out more on facebook by joining: https://www.facebook.com/groups/disabledheroes/
Today’s author you should know is Diane Morrison.
Diane is an amazing writer hailing from Canada. She writes a scifi western series called
the Wyrd West Chronicles as well as other scifi stories. Diane is actively engaged in the author community by supporting other talented writers. She herself is an exceptionally talented writer with stories full of interesting characters and situations.
I first met Diane about a year ago through a Facebook group we both belonged to. Then we were both part of the On the Horizon boxed set along with 20 other authors from around the world. Now she’s also working with SFWA to help with their YouTube channel!
From her Amazon page:
Diane Morrison lives with her partners in Vernon, BC, where she was born and raised. She likes pickles and bluegrass, and hates talking about herself. An avid National Novel Writing Month participant and gaming geek, she is proudly Canadian and proudly LGBTQ. She is currently managing the official SFWA YouTube channel, where she gets to interview some of her favourite authors and other interesting people in the SFF field. Under her pen name “Sable Aradia” she is a successful Pagan author, a musician, and a professional blogger. After a lifetime of putting the needs of her family first, she is striking out to become what she always wanted to be; a speculative fiction writer.
To find out more about this busy and skilled author, visit Diane’s website at dianemorrisonfiction.com.
Come back tomorrow for another author you should know!
Today’s author you need to know is Brent A. Harris.
Brent is an amazing author of science fiction and alternate 
history. He’s extremely talented and well worth a chance. I’ve read several of his short stories through Inklings Press and his novel A Time of Need (you can see my video review of it here). I’ve been impressed with everything I’ve read so far.
I don’t recall when or exactly how I met Brent, but I do know it was over Twitter. Most likely it was through Inklings Press. He’s been a big advocate of my work and a great sounding board when I’ve asked. I can’t say enough positive things about Brent as a fellow author and friend.
From his Amazon page:
Brent A Harris is a Sidewise Award nominated author of alternate history. He also writes science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Previously published works can be found through Insomnia Publishing, Rivenstone Press, Rhetoric Askew, and Inklings Press, the latter having published his short story, Twilight of the Mesozoic Moon, which reaped the Sidewise Award nomination.
He is the author of A Time of Need, an alternate history of the American Revolution, which sees a world where George Washington fights alongside the British against American forces marshaled under a power-hungry Benedict Arnold.
Brent resides in Southern California, where he’s become convinced that Joshua trees are in fact, real trees. When not writing, he focuses on his family, shuttling children around as a stay-at-home dad.
Check out all his short stories and his novel A Time of Need on Amazon and give this talented author a try.
Come back tomorrow for another author you need to know!
I’ve had a difficult time lately trying to figure out what kind of writer I am. Do I write horror? Am I a scifi writer? What about fantasy? Does it even freaking matter?
I’m not sure what’s prompting me to pigeon-hole myself to a particular genre or not, however maybe it’s best if I gravitate toward something. The phrase “Jack of all trades and master of none” keeps coming back to me.
Of all three genres, I think the one that I most identify with is horror. It’s what I’ve read the most, watched the most, and what interests me the most.
I don’t feel I have the credentials to call myself a scifi or even a fantasy writer, though my background in medieval history does give me a foundation for the kind of fantasy I enjoy. I’ve not read many of the scifi classics. I have tried to navigate my way through some of the mainstays of the genre to have a working knowledge of what’s been done before and the major players in the field. Still, it doesn’t feel like I’ve “paid my dues” and learned enough about previous authors to jump into their genre. Does watching a lot of scifi shows count? I don’t know. Maybe? Do I have to have those works read in order to write my own stories?
I imagine purists would scoff at the idea of someone with a basic knowledge of science fiction calling themselves a scifi writer. I kinda agree. Start throwing questions at me about Heinlein or Asimov, I might give you a blank stare and change the subject.
Same goes for fantasy. I know a few pillars of the genre, but I’ve not read many of them. My first real introduction to fantasy was through Robert Jordan and I know there were many before him like Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Terry Pratchett and more. I love fantasy for the idealized medieval worlds they tend to portray (and yes, I’m aware of the Euro-centric bent of most fantasy) though I’ve not read extensively in the genre. Do I have to in order to call myself a fantasy writer?
When it comes to horror, I do have a greater background through reading and movies than the other two genres I gravitate toward. King, Barker, Jackson, Oates, Ramsey Campbell, and countless other authors have all been my go-to authors when I want something to read. I love the dark themes and ability of authors to scare the crap out of me. I feel much more confident calling myself a horror writer though to date, I’ve not written much more than several flash fiction and short stories in the genre.
So why question all of this? What’s the point?
As I continue to grow my readership and reach out to new readers, I don’t want to confuse them. I love using elements from all three genres in my writing. One day I feel more like writing fantasy, while another I want dark, scary horror. I don’t want to be forced into a genre I’m not entirely 100% all in on (or at least don’t feel like I belong because of a lack of rudimentary knowledge of the field.) Yet, readers and especially other authors want to know “what do you write?” Damn good stories? I mean, that’s how I want to answer.
Lately I’ve come to use the term “Speculative Fiction Author” to describe what I write. It’s a term not without its drawbacks and controversy, though for the most part, it encompasses all that I enjoy writing. It allows me the freedom to flow between genres without feeling stuck or unable to try something else. It’s like when King wrote the Dark Tower books. He’s known as one of the most popular horror authors ever, yet he wrote a fantasy series. Of course, it sold because his name is on the cover, but in my case, I have a long way to go to establish my name. If I call myself a “Speculative Fiction Author,” readers generally understand I genre-hop and can pick and choose what stories of mine to read.
If I take a big step back, this entire discussion about genre really is all about marketing anyway. When bookstores sell books, they need to know where to put books to make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for. When Amazon categorizes books, they get down to fine detail about the genre. It all goes back to marketing: How do we sell this book? Who is the market for this one? Have a monster in it? Good, call it horror. Is the protagonist a seventeen year-old girl? Call it young adult. It makes it easier for readers to discern what to buy and not buy. I get it.
The more I can figure out who I am as a writer, the easier it’ll be for me to market myself. If I claim “Speculative Fiction Author” as my title, then I’m open to marketing myself in all three of the genres I enjoy depending on the books I’m writing at the time. It’s not that I’m chasing the latest trends, but writing stories I enjoy and hope others will too. I don’t even know what the latest trends are! Reverse harem? Who knows!
I hope to figure this out soon. I’d like to sell a few books and begin making a profit off my work. I haven’t yet, however I have earned a few new readers in the process.
Hi there, my name is Simon Bleaken and Jason has very kindly given me the chance to say a few words on his blog. Firstly I thought I’d tell you a little bit about myself, and then I’d like to share an excerpt from a work in progress.
I live in the UK and write in the horror, sci-fi and fantasy genres. I’ve had work appear in Tales of the Talisman, Lovecraft’s Disciples, Strange Sorcery and in several anthologies including Eldritch Embraces and Space Horrors: Full Throttle Space Tales #4.
Last year I brought out my first collection of short stories A Touch of Silence and Other Tales, and I am currently working on a second collection, which I hope to release later this year.
My biggest influences have to be my favourite authors, among them: Stephen King, Clark Ashton Smith, H. P. Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. I am in awe of the worlds those guys built. I’ve always found the boundaries between sci-fi and fantasy often merge with the horror genre, and I’ve never tried to restrict myself to either – but to tell the story that needs to be told.
By day I work for an Infection Control Team in a hospital, and it’s a job that keeps me pretty busy – but I always try and make time for writing in the evenings all the same. It was this job, and my constant promise to my colleagues to ‘write an infection control horror story’ that was the origin of the idea for the excerpt of my work-in-progress I’d like to share with you now. This story is planned for inclusion in my forthcoming collection, and is about a survey team who encounter a deadly infection on an alien world. The idea was – what if the disease was utterly deadly, but the cure was utterly unthinkable?
The shovel scraped metal. I froze, crouching in the dirt down inside the grave pit. My heart was racing, and despite the cool breeze coming up from the valley below I was dripping in sweat, my sodden shirt clinging to my skin. I sucked in a shivering breath, fighting the dizziness creeping through my body. I wanted to curl up in a small corner somewhere, to close my aching eyes and sleep. But to do that would be to die.
The fever had started an hour ago, a steady burning at the base of the spine that had spread to the limbs and up the neck into the brain with terrifying speed. I had seen it kill over twenty people in the last thirty hours, and now it was my turn.
I straightened with a wince, craning my neck to glance over at the lander. There was no sign of Gregson. For all I knew he had already passed out, maybe even died. His infection had been far more advanced than my own, and I had left him writhing and thrashing in the throes of delirium. A flicker of guilt fluttered through me at abandoning him, until I remembered my own predicament. Falling to my knees, I clawed away the remaining dirt until I uncovered the metal casing of the storage unit. A fresh wave of dizziness washed over me as I wiped a shaking hand across my brow.
Come on, keep it together. You can do this.
Fear quickened my heart – both of what I was about to do, and of the disease now consuming my trembling sweat-soaked body. Sliding off the top of the unit, I squeezed myself between the side of it and the wall of dirt to my right. We had used one of the worker units to dig this pit just over a day ago, and I wished we still had them around to help me exhume it again.
I held my breath as I hauled the lid open. It didn’t make much difference. The smell was unbearable in the confined space. Inside the makeshift coffin the corpse was already beginning to liquefy, undergoing some kind of accelerated decomposition. Despite the state of the corpse, I could clearly see the strange fungal growths covering it. They had turned from blue to brown after death.
This foul rotting thing had been a friend once, Jason Cain, to be exact. I probably stared at his bloated discoloured face for a good twenty seconds, part morbid fascination and part shocked revulsion. Here was the brutal reality of death. We put people in the ground and then tried to forget what came next, tried to remember them as we had known them, as if that was how they would stay forever. But there was no time for any of this. I knew I was trying to put off what I had come here to do, but time was no longer on my side.
The hand tore clean away as I pulled it free of the body.
Somehow I managed to keep my breakfast down.
I crawled out of the pit, skidding down the slope beyond in a cloud of dust and grit. I collapsed at the bottom, my whole body shaking as I dragged myself weakly forwards, dry heaving painfully until my stomach and sides ached. Finally, I crawled up against a large boulder and huddled against it, filthy and shaking, drenched in sweat. Every part of my body hurt, and my vision was beginning to blur.
I looked down at the hand I held. It had been a part of my friend once. Now it was just a thing, an object, or that’s what I tried to tell myself. I just wondered how much of it I would have to eat. My stomach churned at the thought.
It’s just meat, I told myself.
If you want to read the rest of the story, keep an eye out for my next book The Basement of Dreams and Other Tales later this year.
If you can’t wait that long, A Touch of Silence and Other Tales is out now in paperback and for the Kindle, and contains ten short stories (nine previously published, and one new one). You can also find my stories (and lots more by other great authors) in the brilliant Kepler’s Cowboys anthology and in Twilight Madhouse Vol 2. from Schreyer Ink Publishing.
I’ll sign off here, but a huge thank-you to Jason for giving me this chance to say hello. If you’d like to get updates on my work, I don’t have a blog yet (it’s on my to-do list!) but you can find me on Facebook at the group: ‘The Stories of Simon Bleaken’.
Why not drop by and say hello?
Hey everyone, I wanted to bring your attention to a few book promos I’m currently running.
The first one is for my book The Selection. I’ve joined with Art of the Arcane to offer over 40 books for only .99 each. You can get The Selection right now for less than $1! Go to Art of the Aracane to see all the amazing titles or go here for The Selection.
The next promo is for my newest book Rise of the Forgotten. This is the second in the Forgotten Chronicles series and depending on the day you buy it, can be .99 or $1.99. I’m running a Kindle Countdown deal so grab it early on the cheap. If you’ve read The Selection and want to know what happens next, this is what happens next! Get while it’s on sale here: Rise of the Forgotten.
Finally, my short story collection Moments of Darkness is part of a free selection of books available at Book Funnel. There are over 40 horror/dark fiction novels and collections available for free here: Things That Go Bump In the Night.
Feel free to grab the discounted (or free) books and share with others. I sure would appreciate it. If you have a book on sale or for free, please leave it in the comments below so others can find out.
Thanks!
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