This year's Realms Faire is over. Thank you, everyone, who participated, hosted, and was a sponsor during the event. I have the winners for the Riddle Me This prizes.
Riddle #1 - Answer: Dragon - Winner of River Fairchild's Diamonds and Dust: Patricia Lynne
Riddle #2 - Answer: Phoenix - Winner of Christine Rains' The 13th Floor Complete Collection: dolorah
Riddle #3 - Answer: Centaur - Winner of Cherie Reich's People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors: Patricia Lynne
Riddle #4 - Answer: Dryad - Winner of Ellie Garratt's Passing Time and Taking Time: T.B. Markinson
BOOKS READ
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors by Cherie Reich (me!)
The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
A Diva in Manhattan by Aubrie Dionne
BOOK REVIEWS
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Mackie Doyle is caught between worlds in Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement. I could understand Mackie's plight as a changeling and unable to fully be within our world and not really belonging in the one he originally came from. He tried hard to be invisible, even though people noticed him. I love Yovanoff's world she created and how she took the idea of the fae and changelings, or whatever you wish to call them, and made them her own. The pace went smoothly and the story was well written. For a new take on changelings, I would highly recommend The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.
The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr
A new religion sweeping across the globe will change everything for Daniel and his friends in Richard Farr's The Fire Seekers. Having studied the Ancient Near East, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Greece as well as comparative mythologies, I was immediately sucked into this novel. Undecipherable ancient languages, ancient manuscripts, Greece and Mesopotamia are likely to pique my interest, and I often felt like I was reading about old friends throughout the course of this book. The mystery swept me in further. Who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory, after all? But the characters sealed the deal. Daniel is likable and heroic. The cast as a whole is quirky, and I loved them for it. The adventure is intense, and toward the end of the novel, I was holding my breath in anticipation for what would happen next. A fast-paced story, The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr is quite the fun thrilling story. I'm looking forward to the next book in The Babel Trilogy.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Tea-time with a wizard and thirteen dwarves turns into an unexpected adventure for Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. I first read The Hobbit back in 2002 after having seen the first of The Lord of the Rings movies. With the final movie of The Hobbit coming out in December, I wanted to read the story again, and it didn't disappoint. I'd forgotten many things and remembered others due to watching the movies. Tolkien writes this story as if he's telling you the story with asides and foreshadowing. Bilbo is a character to cheer for as he grows from a timid, flustered hobbit to a bold burglar worthy of a fourteenth of treasure. This story is lighter in narration and sometimes a bit silly than Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. I enjoyed reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien again and now I really want to read his Lord of the Rings again too.
A Diva in Manhattan by Aubrie Dionne
Alaina Amaldi must change her image if she wants to keep the role of Pamina in Aubrie Dionne's A Diva in Manhattan. A brash diva, Alaina often gets what she wants, except when it comes to love. Brett Robinson uses his tragic past as a barrier to keep from loving again. I wondered how he and Alaina would ever work out, even though they seemed perfect for each other. The dual points of view kept the tension high throughout. As I have read most of Dionne's work, reading this book was like coming home. I particularly loved the opera/music teaching parts since I once was an opera singer. With tender moments and intense ones, A Diva in Manhattan by Aubrie Dionne is a must-read story for readers who love sweet romances!
COVER REVEAL
A collection of nine fantastic, spine-tingling stories. Magic. Mystery. Murder. Heartbreak and Hope. Defeat and Victory. Fantasy Uprising delivers a heaping serving of the best of fantasy.
Reborn by Cherie Reich: To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.
Fireseed One by Catherine Stine: On a devastated Earth in 2089, the son of a famous marine biologist must travel to a lethal hotzone with his worst enemy who helped destroy the world’s food source, to search for Fireseed One, a mythical hybrid plant that may not even exist.
Givin' Up the Ghost by Gwen Gardner: In the haunted modern day medieval village of Sabrina shores, Indigo Eady must help a ghost solve his murder before she and her gang become the next victims.
The Marquis by Christine Rains: A retired demon must become the beast he loathes to save the woman he loves.
The Alpha by Christine Rains: A werewolf hunted by her pack must find a way hide or fight a battle she believes she cannot win.
The Rifters by M. Pax: In a strange wilderness town, a misplaced city gal must deal with a secret organization, a man from 1888, and a head-stealing phantom to save her missing sister.
Neverlove by Angela Brown: A tormented suicide survivor must find the power in her pain or risk the Devourer robbing her of a second chance to live, a first chance at love, and her very soul.
The Fall of Shaylar by River Fairchild: Magic is real. So is betrayal. Rivalry, jealousy, a desperate attempt to grab the magic of Shaylar—all converge to bring about the end of the precarious balance between the Five Kingdoms.
Diamonds and Dust by River Fairchild: Magic is real. So is betrayal. Two heirs. A Kingdom of dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all.
BOOKS RELEASED IN NOVEMBER
Burdin of Choice by Alexander Nader
Keeper of the Lost Cities: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger
Yakuza Territory by Milo James Fowler
Captured Love by Juliana Haygert
The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg
My Sister’s Grave by Robert Dugoni
The Trouble with Falling by Rachel Morgan
Tarkin: Star Wars by James Luceno
The Chronicles of Ara: Creation by Joel Eisenberg and Stephen Hillard
Wickedly They Dream by Cathrina Constantine
A Diva in Manhattan by Aubrie Dionne
From the Cradle by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards
Until the Debt is Paid by Alexander Hartung
No Strings by Mark SaFranko
Presumption of Guilt by Marti Green
The Child's Past Life by Cai Jun
Revival by Stephen King
Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Blue Labyrinth by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
Legion by Brandon Sanderson
Taken with a Grain of Salt by Aaron Galvin
Married by Midnight by Talli Roland
You Cannot Kill a Swan: The Love Story of Lyuba and Ivan by Ursula Hartlein
Blood on the Badge by David Huffstetler
The Attic of Sand and Secrets by Medeia Sharif
The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur
Happy Wednesday!
I've been making very little progress this month on any of my November goals so that means no working on Fall of Gravity or the outline of Destined.
It's a good thing I didn't try doing NaNoWriMo, even though I really missed not doing it this year! I've been having dry eye problems again, and reading and staring at the computer screen for 8+ hours a day sometimes leaves my vision blurry. When that happens, I have to take a couple days away from doing much eye work. Because of this issue, I've decided to take it easier on myself and not expect to do too much for the rest of the year.
Because of the upcoming holiday in the US, I won't be posting next week. I'll be back on December 3rd's IWSG post.
Here are my December goals:
- Once upon a Nightmare: A Collection - I've decided to work on this one for the rest of November and December. I hope to have the second edition of Once upon a Nightmare (originally titled The Nightmare Collection) ready by January.
- Format and publish Fantasy Uprising. This boxed set features authors (me included) of Untethered Realms.
What are your December goals?
2014 Stats
45,420 Words Written
2631 Pages Edited
*Stats taken from 1/1/14 - 11/18/14
And it's also time for another chapter of Reborn to go up on Wattpad. To read from the beginning, click here. To read Chapter Thirteen, click here.
Don't forget there's still time to pre-order your copy of People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors. You'll save $3.00 by purchasing now. Pre-order at Amazon / Google Play / iTunes / Kobo / Nook / OmniLit / Smashwords.
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