Showing posts with label Virtual Book Tour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virtual Book Tour. Show all posts

Monday, September 11, 2017

What Is The Shadowzone?


My guest today is Calgary author Simon Rose, who has published fourteen novels for children and young adults, seven guides for writers, almost 100 nonfiction books, and many articles on a wide variety of topics. Earlier this year he released Twisted Fate, the second installment of the paranormal Flashback series. Today, we’re looking at his latest release, the Shadowzone series.


So what’s the Shadowzone series all about?

The series involves the discovery of a grim dystopian version of Earth that’s ruled by a totalitarian dictatorship, the threat of a deadly virus, and a race against time to save the lives of millions. Without giving too much away, here’s a synopsis for each of the novels.


While watching intense flashes of lightning during a violent storm, Ben experiences mysterious and disturbing visions of another world, one very different from his own. In the chain of events that follow, Ben encounters Charlie, a girl from a dark version of Earth, a planet doomed by the effects of environmental catastrophe, where the leaders will stop at nothing to complete their deadly mission. 




Into the Web


On a doomed version of Earth, the sinister schemes of the Ministry are moving ever closer to completion, with dire consequences for the inhabitants of two worlds. For Ben and Charlie, an unlikely alliance, unexpected reunions, and the mysterious prophecy of the Chosen One offer a glimmer of hope, with the ever-present prospect of betrayal, as they embark on an unpredictable journey into the unknown. 


In a dark parallel world, following attacks by its most determined opponents, the Ministry has been forced to change its plans. Yet the ruthless Director-General is prepared to sacrifice anyone to achieve an entirely new beginning, no matter what the cost. In a deadly race against time, as events spiral out of control, Ben and Charlie must risk their lives in a desperate attempt to save two worlds from destruction. 




What inspired you to write these three books? What’s the story behind the story?

The original idea was about someone capturing mysterious images on a video camera of a person that no one else could see. It was around the time that a local hospital was about to be demolished. I imagined that my character was filming the event and captured the image of the person stepping seemingly unharmed from the rubble as the building came down. The idea of capturing unexplained images on film was something that I’ve continued working on and it also inspired me to write The Time Camera, which was published in 2011.

For a while, that’s all I had and it was one of those ideas that I was never sure would come to anything. It was early in my writing career and I put it aside and worked on other stories, but I’d periodically add another element to the story about the camera and the mysterious individual. At one point, I decided that the person that the boy caught on film wasn’t a ghost but from another dimension or perhaps a parallel universe and they were attempting to contact him for some reason. I then began to add details of this other Earth and the reasons for the connection to our world, and it went from there. An initial concept involving kidnappings from hospitals didn’t quite work, so instead I developed the idea of a deadly virus, which was a good fit with the type of government running the other Earth. Once that was all in place, I was able to get to work.


Was it always going to be a series?

Shadowzone was originally only one novel, but once I’d finished it I immediately realized that the story wasn’t over and that I need to write more. The final installment was written very quickly and in the process I knew that I needed to expand the earlier sections too, so in the end I had a trilogy.


 So of course, people need to read all three :)

You could certainly just read Shadowzone, but there’s a cliffhanger ending and hopefully most people will feel utterly compelled to be read on and learn what happens next. Into The Web and Black Dawn also don’t make sense if you haven’t read the first book in the series. Taken together, it’s an exciting, fast paced adventure that I hope everyone will really enjoy.


So it’s a good idea for authors to write a series of books?

It can be, but only if you have enough material for multiple books. If readers are sufficiently interested in the story and the characters after completing the first installment, they’d usually like to read more. However, the story or theme has to be strong enough to warrant more adventures. It’s important to remember that the reader won’t appreciate any novel that’s overloaded with filler, just for the sake of creating a series, and might easily avoid any books by the same author in the future.


So where can people buy all three books in the Shadowzone series?

The books can be purchased at most of the usual places, as follows:

Shadowzone
Paperback: AmazonCreatespace

Into The Web
Paperback:

Black Dawn
Ebook: Amazon CanadaAmazon USAKoboiBooks, and Smashwords
Paperback: 
AmazonCreatespace


You published these yourself, whereas most of your earlier work was traditionally published, correct?

The first eight novels were published by Tradewind Books, while Flashback, Future Imperfect, and Twisted Fate were published by Tyche Books, but my seven books featuring tips and advice for writers were self-published as paperbacks and as ebooks.  I hadn’t self-published fiction before and thought it was time that I did. The Shadowzone books were finished and I believed that they were as good, if not better, than my other work. I also asked some people read them to confirm this and then decided to go ahead with publication. A lot of traditionally published authors also self publish as well now, so it’s quite common practice these days. 


Will you self publish again in the future?

Yes, I think so. The third part of the Flashback series will be published by Tyche Books next spring, but I do have several other projects that I’ll most likely publish myself as well soon. 


What are you currently working on?

I always have a current project or two and right now I’m working on a historical fiction novel for young adults set in the turbulent era of the English Civil War in the 1640s. The novel’s about half finished, but I still have a lot of work to do. I’m also working on sequels to Future Imperfect and The Sphere of Septimus.


Are your other books in this similar dystopian genre?

No, although my novels are all in the science fiction and fantasy genre. The Sorcerer’s Letterbox and The Heretic’s Tomb are historical fiction adventures set in medieval England, The Alchemist’s Portrait is a time travel story, The Emerald Curse is all about superheroes and comic books, The Doomsday Mask is all about the legend of Atlantis, and The Sphere of Septimus involves the characters traveling into another world and is in the same vein as the Harry Potter series, The Chronicles of Narnia, or Lord of the Rings. Future Imperfect is a technology-driven story featuring mysterious messages from the future, and Flashback and Twisted Fate are in the paranormal genre. I’ve also written nonfiction guides for writers, including The Children’s Writer's Guide and The Time Traveler’s Guide.


You also work with other authors, don’t you?

Yes, I do quite a lot of that these days. I’ve edited books in all kinds of genres for a wide range of writers in the last few years, offering both substantive and copy editing. I also work as a writing coach and consultant for people with works in progress or those that are struggling with writer’s block. You can learn more about some of the projects I’ve worked on that have subsequently been published are here on my website. I also offer online courses for adults and workshops on a variety of themes for aspiring young writers.

Thanks Simon, for being my guest here today and the very best of luck with the Shadowzone series. I hope the books sell thousands of copies in the coming weeks and months.

You can learn more about Simon and his work on his website at www.simon-rose.com or online at the following social media sites:

·         Facebook
·         Twitter
·         LinkedIn
·         YouTube
·         Google +
·         Pinterest

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Deleted Scene- Hades POV from Kaitlin Bevis

Today I am bringing to you a deleted scene from a Facebook friend of mine, Kaitlin Bevis, from her newly released book 'Persephone'!

But first... a little about the book:

One day Persephone is an ordinary high school senior working at her mom’s flower shop in Athens, Georgia. The next she’s fighting off Boreas, the brutal god of Winter, and learning that she’s a bonafide goddess—a rare daughter of the now-dead Zeus. Her goddess mom whisks her off to the Underworld to hide until Spring.

There she finds herself under the protection of handsome Hades, the god of the dead, and she’s automatically married to him. It’s the only way he can keep her safe. Older, wiser, and far more powerful than she, Hades isn’t interested in becoming her lover, at least not anytime soon. But every time he rescues her from another of Boreas’ schemes, they fall in love a little more. Will Hades ever admit his feelings for her?

Can she escape the grasp of Boreas’ minions? The Underworld is a very cool place, but is it worth giving up her life in the realm of the living? Her goddess powers are developing some serious, kick-butt potential. She’s going to fight back.

- If you visit http://kaitlinbevis.com/ you will find links to where you can find the book, apparently its also in audio format!


Deleted Scene- Hades Point Of View:


She was beautiful. Hades hadn’t expected that. Silly really, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter would hardly be plain. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting as he tore his way through the earth. He hadn’t taken the time to think, had only been advised of what was happening above his realm, and acted.

She held her head high as the ice retreated. Her fists clenched in defiance as her white dress swirled around her petite frame. She had to be frightened. He could almost see her pulse hammering in her throat. Still, she stood calmly facing his chariot as he drew to a halt.

He felt as though he was seeing the sun for the first time. Had she only been beautiful, he would have been able to tear his gaze away from her. He had seen no shortage of beauties in his long and lonely existence. Helen of Troy, Andromeda, even Oreithyia could not have matched this girl for beauty. It was the purity and intelligence sparkling from her cypress green eyes that held him captive. That she was still standing spoke of immeasurable bravery to say nothing of that defiantly clenched fist.

He loomed over her, in his black chariot. He was trapped in her gaze, unable to move forward. His mind kept repeating an endless refrain of thanks that he had not been too late. Another thought kept edging to the forefront of his brain. He tried to shove it back unsuccessfully.

He had to have her.

That she would complicate his life beyond measure was of no importance. Demeter would be furious. If this begat a war with the few gods left, so be it. Cassandra had warned him this would happen one day.

Gods help him; he’d thought she was kidding.


About The Author:

Kaitlin Bevis spent her childhood curled up with a book and a pen. If the ending didn’t agree with her, she rewrote it. Because she’s always wanted to be a writer, she spent high school and college learning everything she could to achieve that goal. After graduating college with a BFA and Masters in English, Kaitlin went on to write The Daughters of Zeus series.

Webpage: www.kaitlinbevis.com
Twitter: @kaitlinbevis
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kaitlin-Bevis/224768864266454
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/109348246034296581186/posts 

Thursday, July 2, 2015

How To Set Up A Facebook Party- The Alien Mind VBT Post

I am honored to be featured on Writers And Authors today! Have you ever wanted to set up a Facebook party to release your book but you weren't sure how? Maybe you want to have a party to celebrate a special mile stone? Come on over to Writers&Authors and I will be happy to tell you how to do it! I've even included some game ideas to help you get started!


*Tomorrow, I'll be at Frampton Plantation at 1 Low Country Ln, Yemassee, SC 29945  from 8 till closing time signing copies of The Alien Mind! I'd love to see you there!

And... as a side note... This is also my 100th post on my blog! YAHOO!



How to set up a facebook party

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Different Worlds, Different Minds- The Alien Mind VBT post

I get to do all sorts of interesting things with my characters! Last year, for The Alien Mind's e-book release book tour I was asked if it would be ok for an alien to interview my character Rivi. What an interesting request! Turns out, the alien was actually a character in Clay Gilbert's 'Annah' 

Anyhow... Stop by and see how the two girls got along!
https://portalsandpathways.wordpress.com/2014/11/26/different-worlds-different-minds/

And please don't forget- The Alien Mind (paperback) is available for pre-order! Those who order in time to get their copy for the release party July 10th and post a picture to www.facebook.com/vljennings of them holding the book (or e-book) will be entered into a drawing for a special prize!

Pre-order your copy of The Alien Mind today! 

  Character Interview on Portals and pathways

Monday, June 29, 2015

The Alien Mind VBT Post: Rivi's First Abilities- Flash Fiction

Yesterday my virtual book tour for The Alien Mind took me to the site of author Skye Hegyes. I wrote up a flash fiction piece detailing Rivi's adventure in discovering her first abilities. This particular flash fiction takes place before the events in The Alien Mind. I hope you enjoy it! You can find Rivi's story here: http://skyehegyes.com/2015/06/26/3226/

And please don't forget- The Alien Mind (paperback) is available for pre-order! Those who order in time to get their copy for the release party July 10th and post a picture to www.facebook.com/vljennings of them holding the book (or e-book) will be entered into a drawing for a special prize!

Pre-order your copy of The Alien Mind today! 
  Skye 6-26-15