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John Mellor: A GUITAR WITH TOO MANY STRINGS

8/29/2014

Today, guest author John Mellor is here to promote his new release, A Guitar With Too Many Strings. He will be giving away a signed paperback copy of his novel to one reader, so make sure to enter using the Rafflecopter below.

About the novel:

It is the story of a rock singer and the unearthly harmonies plucked from a strange 13-string guitar; and of a bumptious honeybee encountering a strange little man on a planet that isn't there; and a tired, cynical old philosopher conducting a strange debate with a stone in the woods.

It is the story of a shipwrecked sailor, whose pet egg hatches into a strange seagull; and a worn-out, unworldly old lady dying in a strange land where no-one dreams; and a sad, downtrodden gardener tending a Wise Woman's strange, disquieting weed.

It is the story of a lonely white dolphin, and a tree - curiously shaped like a guitar with too many strings.

And of a young boy who discovers - with a little help from an Angel - The Seven Gifts - that came to Earth.

For More About A Guitar With Too Many Strings:

Go to the author's website or check out the work on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, and Smashwords. Currently FREE at B&N and Smashwords.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Catching Up on Reviews

8/27/2014

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It's been quite a while since I've posted a review, so I thought the time had come for me to begin playing catch-up. The following are reviews for works I've read within the past few months:

The Shroud by David Moore – 4 stars

A small group within the Catholic Church has taken the Second Coming into its own hands, and the result is disastrous. While the concept of cloning Jesus using DNA obtained from the Shroud of Turin is nothing new, the direction this novel takes—and how the author executes it—is well done.

The writing style is excellent, with fluid prose and a great pace. Had it been more carefully copy edited, I likely would have rated this story 5 stars. There are a few places in which unrelated characters in unrelated scenes either assume the same information or come to the same conclusions when such information should have been restricted to limited characters and the reader. There were also a number of typos and errors in punctuation/capitalization, and a couple of improperly used references. Still, this novel is a beautiful read, filled with suspense and interesting ideas. I recommend THE SHROUD to thriller fans who enjoy well-crafted prose.

Monstrosities by Jeremy C. Shipp – 5 stars

Monstrosities was my first real taste of bizarre fiction, and while it left me feeling like my head had been thrown into a tornado, I walked away from this collection thoroughly entertained. The writing style is excellent, and nearly every story is exceptional, most of them seeming the literary equivalent of abstract modern art. If you like weird and creepy, you’ll love Monstrosities.

“Bullets and Fire” by Joe R. Lansdale – 4 stars

This short story, which offers a slice of urban gang life, is not only well-written but also surprising in the direction it takes. I have to say I didn’t see the end coming—not the way it was presented or from the standpoint of character motivation. It’s a quick read, but it packs a good amount of detail and personality for its length. I recommend this work to fans of contemporary fiction with a gritty and bold tone.

“Shame the Devil” by Christine Sutton – 4 stars

This story is a short, quick read with a lovely take on an old concept. While not entirely unpredictable, the presentation is fun and it’s a satisfying to read. I loved the play on perception, and I thought the ending was gratifying. I recommend this story to fans of supernatural fiction.

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Guest Author Jackie G. Williams: COURTING THE REAPER

8/8/2014

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Today, guest author Jackie G. Williams is here to promote her recent release, Courting the Reaper. I asked her to share a little about the inspiration behind the collection, and the following is her response.

Courting the Reaper is a bumper book of short stories and novelettes, with some illustrations added for effect. Each story either originated from a dream or something said that I've embellished.

As a child my father told me ghost stories, I loved them, and laughed to see the horror on my mother's face. My father passed when I was eight, but his memory lives on in his tales. Courting the Reaper is a collection of my favourite works to date. A mixture of creepy, cruel and gruesome characters, all different in their surroundings. I often wonder how people would react in an end of the world scenario, and what would happen in an apocalypse. It's all scary stuff. This book is an outlet of my imagination. Written for kindred souls.

More about the collection:

Courting the Reaper is a collection of creepy, cruel, gruesome characters you don't want to meet in your worst nightmares. Check under your bed, settle back and prepare for the chilling hand of the Reaper on your heart. You've been warned.

About the author:

Jackie G. Williams lives in Wales UK with her husband, Bill. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren. She began writing a few years back, starting with poetry. Since then, she’s written horror, children's books and a help book about fibromyalgia. Her latest offering is Courting the Reaper, which is available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle.

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Guest Author Kat Loveland: HONOR BOUND

8/5/2014

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Today, guest author Kat Loveland has stopped by to promote her series, Honor Bound. She will be giving away a $40 Amazon gift card to one random reader, so make sure to enter using the Rafflecopter box below; you can increase your chances of winning by leaving a comment and following the other posts in the tour. Click here for a list of blog tour stops.

Kat Loveland: Themes in my Books

Hello,

I would like to thank The Cerebral Writer for having me. Before we get too far into the themes of my books I just wanted to share two promos I am having. Today and today only the Kindle Version of the ENTIRE HONOR BOUND SERIES is FREE! I am also offering 50% Off the Print Version as well go to this link and use this code Z5C5P5NR at checkout! Code is good until August 15th.

This is an interesting topic for me because a reviewer pointed out themes in my books that I hadn't consciously been aware of or planned really. Honor Bound is about people with special abilities, therefore they are different than the rest of society. I wrote the book wanting to present a grittier, more realistic version of what it is like to have those abilities and how they try to go about their everyday life while rescuing others. A reviewer pointed out to me that those themes would resonate well with teens and even preteens who are different, gifted, or have some sort of special need. She mentioned both gifted and talented students along with kids with Asperger's in her review that you can read in full on my Amazon page.

All six of my characters have had very different experiences with their abilities. Min-Ji was abused and tortured because of hers, Jessie made bad choices with her empathy that led her to consciously choose how she would wield it, Cesco's speed and heightened senses are easy to conceal so it's never been a bother to him, John and Clara's mental, emotional and physical entwining makes their life both easier and much, much harder. Sarah, well you'll just have to see. Since they all have had different experiences they have all built different coping mechanisms. You will see Sarah at the beginning of this journey and the others think they answers for her but when their reality shifts they all have to reassess how they both use and view what it is they can do.

I think this is a theme that pertains to everyone throughout your life, when you were a child perhaps you excelled in one thing, then things switched, you had to adapt to different groups, different viewpoints and you had new influences. The things that may have been a strength for you at one time may be a weakness later on. The reviewer pointed out that she viewed my characters as good role models for figuring out how to handle what makes you different. I took that as high praise. It may not have been at the forefront of my consciousness while writing but I was a gifted and talented student, an oddball and in many ways still am. Apparently some of those experiences shined through. I, like they always tell you, wrote what I like to read and I love to read about people overcoming challenges that would render most people insane.

I have also realized that Honor Bound treats males and females equally. I have no “token” characters, all six of them serve a definite purpose both within the group and to push the story forward. I don't think gender when I write; the character, their gender and traits, pop up pretty simultaneously in my head. There is still much discussion of “strong” women character and I have to agree with the great Joss Whedon. Write them the same way you write a male characters. It's really not that complicated to me. I think perhaps that is another theme that is in this book, gender doesn't separate, it is just part of who we are. The twins give me a very interesting platform to show that because in many ways they are one person in two bodies but they have different personalities and John is the more fiery, emotional one.

In the end, Honor Bound is about loyalty, acceptance, adaptation and forgiveness of self. It also has some killer action scenes, great humor, will make you cry and be late to work because you get sucked into my world. That's your warning. I hope you enjoy.

About the series:

Awakenings

X-Men meets the Real World. "This was an amazing book while steeped in fantasy it tackles a huge subject , the subject of human trafficking. Instead of a bland preachy PSA against it, this story uses amazing imagery, action, intensity, and heart to keep you reading well into the night."

Children and teens with unique abilities are being sold on the black market. When twins John and Clara made a vow several years ago to help children that had abilities, they never thought they would be forced to fight hardened criminals. Honor Bound Awakenings shows the beginning of the journey they and their friends from idealism to reality and what sacrifices they will be forced to make to keep their vow.

Sacrifices

Picking up the moment Awakenings' end – John and Clara are forced to choose which of them will continue to put themselves in the line of fire, Cesco has to make peace with what he may have to become to keep the others safe, Min-Ji confronts her painful past head on, Sarah and her family must learn to adapt to the results of her Awakening and Jessie has to struggle to keep the group emotionally stable.

Excerpt:

Over the years he and Clara had learned how to block each other out when needed. If they hadn’t, going through puberty would have probably driven them both nuts. When they didn't block properly they literally felt exactly what the other one was. When their parents started training them in martial arts when they were toddlers they didn’t understand why one would react when the other missed a block and a light hit got through. As they progressed in life and in training they slowly learned how to separate themselves. Their biggest fear when they started to go after criminals was if they got separated and beaten. No matter how strong of a block they put up some of that would leak through and it could incapacitate them both, not to mention if anyone ever found out.

They were each other’s greatest weakness. John started to think of Akinori and what she would say about Sarah. Akinori had been a detective, she was John and Clara’s mom’s partner in the Japanese police dept. Their mom had gone undercover a lot, especially in vice cases. John remembered the night of the car accident that had killed both his parents. It had been Akinori who had showed up at the house, ordered them to pack some bags and leave Japan. Their father was Scottish and had family in Scotland and the United States. They had bought tickets for Scotland and stayed there for about a month until they got a call from Akinori.

“Your mother’s cover was blown somehow. I don’t think their death was an accident. The prosecutor won’t do anything because there is not enough evidence and he is corrupt. I had an accident but will be coming to see you. I retired from the force.” She hung up. The next time they saw her she had a prosthetic leg along with copies of all the files of the their mother’s cases. That was 4 years ago. It seemed like yesterday.

About the author:

"I like comfy, simple clothes and sparring with weapons. I occasionally try my hand at archery and artistic photography, sometimes I'll even hop a wall or vault a bench. I'm a tomboy at heart, what can I say.

"Why do I write? My imaginary friends are endlessly entertaining and they always do whatever the hell I tell them to. Besides it's fun to play Goddess, most authors won't admit that but I'm pretty blunt. It's fun to torture, harass, endlessly confound and every once in a while make a character a bit happy with life. Not too often though, that's just silly."

For more about Kat Loveland and her writing, visit her website or check out her Facebook and Twitter Pages. Her books are available at Amazon.

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Jane's FREE on Kindle for One More Day

8/4/2014

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I hope Monday is treating you well enough. Here in Sin City, a monsoon is moving through, cutting the typical 110+ Fahrenheit temperatures to a varying 80-100 degrees. Given the cloud cover, it would be the perfect time for someone like Jane to stop through. In a sense, she is. Through midnight tomorrow, Love Beads, the first novella in the dark and twisted Jane the Hippie Vampire series, will be free on Kindle.

Here's what readers are saying about Love Beads:

"It's a fantastic read and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!" --Mr. and Mrs. J

"If you enjoy vampire fiction, this novella will please you. If you like a nifty psychological puzzle, this one will also please you. If you have a fondness for offbeat, quirky, enjoyable heroines, you're in luck here, too. Do I recommend this novella? Oh yes!" --MaryAnnReads

"Jane is the strangest vampire I have come across in a long while.... Some fabulous in depth and textured descriptions allow you to become immersed in the story. I was totally engrossed in this novella and was sad when it ended." --Vix Kirkpatrick

The second installment to Jane's bizarre and groovy saga, Flashbacks, is also now available, and will be discounted to .99 through the month of August.

Get your free Kindle copy of Love Beads here. Ready for Flashbacks? Get your discounted copy here.

Thanks--and happy reading!

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John Mellor: A GUITAR WITH TOO MANY STRINGS

Catching Up on Reviews

Guest Author Jackie G. Williams: COURTING THE REAPER

Guest Author Kat Loveland: HONOR BOUND

Jane's FREE on Kindle for One More Day

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