Month: June 2012

Sneak Peek: Soulstone by Katie Salidas

Today we have a sneak peek from Katie Salidas’ urban fantasy book, Soulstone (Book 4 in the Immortalis series):

Soulstone by Katie SalidasIt’s a desperate time for rookie vampire Alyssa, and her sanity is hanging by a slender thread. Her clan is still reeling from the monumental battle with Aniketos; a battle that claimed the body of Lysander, her sire and lover, and trapped his spirit in a mysterious crystal. A Soulstone.

Unfortunately, no amount of magic has been able to release Lysander’s spirit, and the stone is starting to fade. In despair, Alyssa begs the help of the local witch coven, and unwittingly exposes the supernaturals of Boston to unwanted attention from the Acta Sanctorum.

The Saints converge on the city and begin their cleansing crusade to rid the world of all things “Unnatural.” In the middle of an all-out war, but no closer to a solution to the dying stone, Alyssa is left with an unenviable choice: save her mate, or save her clan.

Soulstone is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Soulstone by Katie Salidas”

Body Parts

I am more than my eyes alone.

“Smooth and smiling faces everywhere, but ruin in their eyes.” – Jean-Paul Sartre

I did not plan on starting this week’s post about eyes. Eyes may be the windows of the soul, but how do you describe your character’s eyes or facial expression without being cliché?  A book I recently finished repeated the same phrase over and over again – “his smile never reached his eyes”. Yes, we can figure out that this person is not genuine. But, what other body parts can we use to gain insight into our character’s motivation, career opportunities, pride or self-esteem? Let’s start with a story about feet.

When we moved to Florida from New Jersey I was disappointed to realize that I could no longer indulge my habit of checking out what kind of shoes people were wearing. I love shoes. Many people in Florida don’t wear shoes – they wear flip-flops. It can be 35 degrees, and they’ll be in flip-flops. And, sadly, for some of them it doesn’t matter to them what their feet look like. Continue reading “Body Parts”

Indies Unlimited Welcomes Big Al to the Team

Big Al

Big Al is the Capo di tutti Capi at two big-time review blogs, BigAl’s Books and Pals and The IndieView. Al came into the spotlight in a major way when Books and Pals became the scene of the notorious Greek Seaman incident. If you really need a lesson about why an author should not attempt to rebut (let alone rebuke) a reviewer, do click the link. I am sure you will find it most instructive.

While I would be willing to bet dollars to navy beans that practically every reviewer out there has experienced an author going off on them because of a bad review, this one is notable because it went viral, and was picked up by media outlets around the world. That is how I first became acquainted with Big Al and his courage under fire.

When Indies Unlimited was brand-spanking new with the one-man crew complement of yours truly,  I asked Big Al if he’d be willing to answer a few questions for a series of articles I was doing on what reviewers want. I was pleasantly surprised that he was willing to take the time to work with a newbie blogger running (what was then) a nothing of a blog.

So, he’s not merely a cold-blooded killer, but also an all-around good guy. I am particularly pleased to announce that Big Al is coming aboard Indies Unlimited as a monthly contributor. How did I make that happen? I made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Please welcome Al to the Indies Unlimited family.

J.L. Murray Announces New Release

J.L. Murray’s The Devil Is a Gentleman is the second book in the Niki Slobodian series. It is available now through Amazon.

Niki Slobodian thought she’d seen it all. She’s faced down all-powerful demons, sent escaped Hellions back where they came from, and, maybe most significantly, confronted her own notorious father, Alexei “Sasha” Slobodian. But when Congressman Frank Bradley, the poster boy for New Government, and the orchestrator of the loathed Registry knocks on her door, she becomes entangled in a new set of dangers. A mysterious organization is literally out for her blood, the unusual new police commissioner wants to involve Niki in her schemes, and new information makes Niki realize Sasha isn’t nearly as self-serving as she once thought. With her partner Bobby Gage, Niki finds out how little she really knows about the Slobodian family, and how alike she and her father really are.

Underneath it all is her inscrutable employer, Sam, who has his own plans for Niki’s future. A war between Heaven and Hell is brewing, and Sam seems to be right in the middle. He also seems to be a little too interested in Niki. And the ghosts are getting worse. Continue reading “J.L. Murray Announces New Release”