HAPPY St. PATRICK'S DAY. WHAT IS YOUR HERITAGE GAME!

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My heritage: Irish, Scottish, British, Swiss, French, German. 

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I want to know about your heritage! Post a comment that tells me something about your heritage, and you will have entered to WIN the PAPERBACK of ELECTRIC GARDENS!

Why Electric Gardens? Because essentially underneath all the robots and confinement and struggle for freedom, it is a story about a Native American girl who fights to reconnect with her heritage and father again. A story about humans remembering their culture, and humanity, although the robot have stolen everything from them. 

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SPECIAL GUEST: KIM PETERSON

author of: REBELLION

When did you start writing stories? I started writing stories in my head long before I penned them. Somehow, I always knew I’d write books, but it wasn’t until a profound event occurred in my life, setting off a personally-transforming chain of events that I sat down and wrote my first book, Millie’s Angel in 2016. What was your favorite book growing up? Now? As a child – anything fairytale. Golden Books were my thing. Teenage years switched to the Sweet Valley High series, and matured into books by Virginia Andrews, Jackie Collins and Anne Rice. Nowadays, some of my all-time favorites are Dan Brown’s, Angels & Demons, Sally Beauman’s Destiny, Harold Robbins, A Stone for Danny Fisher, and Bryce Courtenay’s, Jessica. I also loved Elizabeth Hunter’s, The Scribe. I read across genres. If you could live anywhere in the world where money was not a factor, where would it be? A long cabin house perched on the edge of a cliff and overlooking the ocean. The location isn’t nearly as important as the company - as long as the neighbors aren’t too close. We’d fly over the sea every day and forget the world. How did you come up with the story? I wrote Rebellion: Stone the Crows with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon. Both of these authors are post-apocalyptic dystopian masters, and it was an honor to work so closely with them. I believe the story was the brain-child of J. Thorn, born during a trip to Seattle – more about that here: https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/08/15/4-ways-travel-can-enrich-your-writing/ What are your current writing plans? I have a couple of running projects keeping me super busy. In honor of the mystic in me, I’m currently working on my own dystopian thriller series. And to quench my romantic side – I’m collaborating with two awesomely talented authors to release a title in time for Valentine’s Day 2019. Horses, sharks, or eagle? Eagle Robots, animals, or people? People Simon and Garfunkel, Metallica, or Queen? Metallica Novels, novellas, or short stories? Novels Morning, afternoon, or night? Mornings This was a lot of fun, thank you so much for having me, Ami! Website: http://www.kimpetersen.com.au/ REBELLION  If you knew the truth, would you live in shackles or die for freedom? Rebellion is the new dystopian thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world from bestselling authors, J. Thorn, Zach Bohannon, and Kim Petersen, the first book in the Stone the Crows trilogy. My review of the first chapter of REBELLION: I like the story of the girl, Rayna, in the first chapter, enough to keep me interested in her hardship. I think her voice works well. There are great descriptions and the writing is well done.  I do feel, though, there is too much information dropping in the first chapter. I'd prefer to see things happen and then have a few clues here and there and pick on what it is about.  That said, it sounds like a story about an oppressed group of people by a more affluent group of people.  I would read the next chapter to find out more, but if the information dropping continues to be heavy, I'd probably stop.

Army of Tomorrow News: Special Guest: Aaron Frale

Welcome Special Guest: Aaron Frale - comedian writer 

When did you start writing stories?

In elementary school, my first story was about a skeleton chasing some guy and my second, about these mites that ate people. Then in high school, I wrote a novel on spiral notebooks. It was a cross between The Terminator and Aliens, two of my favorite movies at the time. Then in college, I wrote plays where people sounded inexplicably British. Needless to say, I had some learning to do as a writer.

What was your favorite book growing up? Now?

Ender’s Game was one of my top favorites as a kid. A kid my age fighting space aliens? What’s better than that? Now, it depends on when you ask me the question. The Bobiverse books are excellent and probably the best I’ve read recently. I also enjoyed Girl with All the Gifts for telling a zombie story in a way I hadn’t seen before. Nothing to Envy is a fantastic non-fiction book about what is really happening in North Korea.

If you could live anywhere in the world where money was not a factor, where would it be?

A cabin in the woods in the mountains near a major airport (for traveling). Anywhere from San Francisco up through Vancouver, BC. I’d also go to Colorado.

How did you come up with the story?

The germ of this idea comes from two technologies present in our life, 3D printing and subscription-based services. It wasn’t a far stretch to combine the two into a world where everything costs one low monthly fee. Why pay for furniture when a 3D printer built into the walls of an apartment can provide a new living room set on a whim? Who needs clothes when you can print your outfit? Why not pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to your favorite designers? Another fee for your favorite restaurant to have the food appear instantly? Why go to a gym when for a fee the gym can be printed in your own home on demand? What happens when you can’t afford to pay these subscription fees?

What are your current writing plans?

Two books a year at least. I’m attempting to alternate between writing sequels and doing new stories, but I just get so excited by the allure of a new story that I sometimes backburner sequels. However, I listen to my fans and will prioritize the sequels they want to see.

One word answers:

Horses, sharks, or eagle?

Eagle

Robots, animals, or people?

Robots

Simon and Garfunkel, Metallica, or Queen?

Metallica

Novels, novellas, or short stories?

Novels

Morning, afternoon, or night?

Morning

A guy learns sarcasm when he discovers he cannot die. Want to try something different? ORION for .99c

KICKSTARTER campaign here, and leave comments. 

Drone Games by M. Black, release date: Spring of 2019

Drone Games is a STAND BY ME meets ENDER'S GAME. Those who love 80's paraphernalia and music, a good coming of age or classic 80's books, Atari, Pac-Man, or video games in general, will love this novel set in a future Manhattan, New York, where four middle school aged kids find out the video game they are playing is more than just a game! 

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Simply comment on this blog thread and tell me what you think about the cover. Be honest! Winner will be picked at random.

INTERVIEW with author M. Black (that is me!)

When did you start writing stories? I have always written stories, since I was a young child. Firstly, they were in my head and then I wrote them into short stories which were read by the English teachers in class. Later, I wrote  series of shorts and then graduated into novels in my thirties. Been writing novels ever since!

What was your favorite book growing up? Now? Charolette's Web growing up and now I would have to say Divergent. 

If you could live anywhere in the world where money was not a factor, where would it be? Gosh, where would I live...I would have to say where I am because I chose this location to be near family. But if family was not an option, I'd probably pick Costa Rica. Lovely beaches, food and economical. 

How did you come up with the story? I was thinking about all the 80's video games I used to play and how I loved stories from the 80's like Goonies and Stand by Me and wanted to do a kind of remembrance of that time period while also telling a new story. 

What are your current writing plans? I am writing a novel called THE INSTRUMENT, a kind of Siri meets the apocalypse, and it should be finished by the release date of Drone Games in spring of 2019. 

One word answers:

Horses, sharks, or eagle? Horses.

Robots, animals, or people? All of them. 

Simon and Garfunkel, Metallica, or Queen? Simon and Garfunkel. 

Novels, novellas, or short stories? Novels. 

Morning, afternoon, or night? Morning and Night. 

Thank you and good night! 

*Book reviews will resume in January 2019. I am starting a new program called 1st Chapter Book Reviews which are reviews based on the first chapter of a book only. I will also post full book reviews periodically. 

Special Guest: Michael Shelton

Young Adult Fantasy  Click for website    When did you start writing stories? I stated writing stories when I was very young. In fact I still have my first book, in which I wrote in my third grade class. We found it up and everything. Of course, it’s not very good. I’ve been writing off and on ever since then. Then I finally got serious and began publishing in 2016. What was your favorite book growing up? Now? I don’t know if I had a specific favorite book growing up or not. I read all the time. I remember my mom taking me to the library almost every week and coming home with an armful of books. I read detective books, fantasy, and mystery. The first fantasy I really remember reading was The Chronicles of Narnia. Now I still love fantasy. I do read other genre’s occasionally, but always seem to go back to fantasy. Authors like Terry Brooks, Raymond Feist, and Robert Jordan, as well as newer authors like Jeff Wheeler and D.K. Holmberg. If you could live anywhere in the world where money was not a factor, where would it be? I’m not sure where I would want to live. Right now I live in the pacific NW and am only a short drive from a multitude of waterfalls, trails, and old growth forests so I really like that. If I could choose somewhere else, maybe in a castle somewhere in Europe. How did you come up with the story? My latest series, The Dragon Artifacts – book one being The Golden Dragon has characters that I used in a previous series (The Alaris Chronicles). Even though it is previous characters and is fun to read about their former adventures, the series stands on its own. I’ve always loved dragons and magic power. The story deals with the question of how much power is too much? IS there a limit to what one person should hold. And is it possible to be all powerful and still not have it go to your head.   What are your current writing plans? Currently I am finalizing editing on this newest series, and am thinking about my next book. Not sure of the story line yet, but it will definitely have lots of magic! One word answers: Horses, sharks, or eagle? Eagle Robots, animals, or people? People Simon and Garfunkel, Metallica, or Queen? Queen Novels, novellas, or short stories?  Novels

Animal Graph Paperback Giveaway

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What if in the future, a dictator name Truss took over North and South America? What if he grafted prisoners to perfect his own Graphed soldiers? What if some of this prisoners escaped? 

In this 6 book series of Animal Graph we explore the Amazon, Savannah, Orinoco River, Highlands, Plateaus. All the beauty of the Amazon forests, as well as some of its splendid flora and wildlife like Toucans, Howler Monkeys and Caiman. We also meet radiated creatures poisoned by the nuclear wars. 

JIN and ADAN have to run for their lives in the picturesque Amazon, because the are being hunted to train soldiers. But their grafts will aide them and as they learn to use their animal graph, they will turn the tide of this upcoming war.

If you enjoy stories like Dr. Moreau or Hunger Games, or even stories of survival with twists you don't see coming...this is for you! 

Immerse yourself in the gorgeous and dangerous Amazon, find new creatures, learn about new exotic countries, travel the highlands, savannas, and plateaus in this breath-taking, page-turning book, ANIMAL GRAPH.


"AN ACTIVE AND EXCITING STORY THAT WOULD BE ENJOYED BY YOUNG ADULTS AND MATURE READERS. M. BLACK PACKS IN A LOT OF INTERESTING CONCEPTS. FANS OF DYSTOPIAN FICTION LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES WILL ENJOY THIS VERY CREATIVE STORY." -Netgalley 

"WOW! WHAT A CONCEPT! I CAN SAY THAT THIS IS THE FIRST BOOK OF THIS KIND THAT I HAVE READ." -Amazon Reader 

"THIS WAS AN AWESOME STORY. IN THE APOCALYPTIC FUTURE THEY ARE EXPERIMENTING ON PRISONERS." -Amazon Reader 

"M.BLACK’S ANIMAL GRAPH IS MORE THAN A DYSTOPIAN TALE FROM THE CREATIVE GENIUS OF THIS AUTHOR’S MIND. IT RAISES THE QUESTION OF SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST, OF LIVING IN HARMONY AND QUESTIONING WHAT IF THE ODDS ARE ARTIFICIALLY STACKED AGAINST THESE NEW CREATIONS." -Netgalley

"ANIMAL GRAPH TAKES A FRESH AND INTRIGUING LOOK AT ANIMAL-HUMAN PAIRINGS" -Avid Amazon Reader 

"THE CHARACTERS HAVE EXTRAORDINARY ABILITIES FROM THEIR ANIMAL GRAPHS, BUT THESE ALSO COME WITH WEAKNESSES. IT'S A REALLY GOOD BALANCE." -Netgalley

"IT IS GOOD, VERY STRANGE ON ONE HAND YET THRILLING AND EDGE OF YOUR SEAT! I LOVE THE BEGINNING WHERE THE READER IS IN THE ACTION FROM THE START! I ALSO LOVE THE WHOLE IDEA OF THE GRAPHS." -Reader Review

"THIS BOOK HAD ME HOOKED FROM THE BEGINNING." Netgalley

"YOU ARE ONE OF THE FEW AUTHORS WHOSE BOOKS LEAVE ME WANTING TO READ MORE OF YOUR BOOKS." -Amazon Reader

"GOOD STORY! I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END!" Amazon Reader  

"I HAD ANXIETY ATTACKS WITH JIN. IT REALLY BOTHERED ME THAT I HAD TO PUT THE BOOK DOWN TO DO NORMAL THINGS LIKE EAT. LOL." -Amazon Reader




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Win Electric Gardens Paperback!

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After several world catastrophes, robots called 'Tins' have come to power.

Lexi019 knows them well. She's lived inside of a Compound ruled by Tins for the past twelve years, and maintains a strict schedule. After attending Electric Gardens classes, she learns that she will be transferred, as all eighteen-year-olds are, to serve the gardens for the rest of her life.

Instead, Lexi defies the Tins and looks for a way out. With her best guy Kyle53 at her side, and a couple of unlikely friends, Lexi eventually finds her way out of the Compound. 

But in the end, can she escape... or like all things in this artificial, apocalyptic world, will she be stuck under the Tins' power forever?

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