Day: June 18, 2013

Sneak Peek: Kings of the World

Today we have a sneak peek from the the young adult science fiction comedy by author Matt J. Pike, Kings of the World.

The galaxy is on the brink of war and only four dysfunctional, hormone-driven teenagers from Earth stand in its way. God help us all.

It didn’t take Cooper long to come to the conclusion that space sucks. It seems everyone there despises humans, everything’s too far away and the travel makes you heave. Worse still, Cooper’s stuck there with his best mate and two former classmates who want to beat the crap out of him.

And people, well, alien people are trying to kill them. Can Cooper and his inept sidekicks save the galaxy? Or are we all doomed?

Kings of the World is available through Amazon.com, Smashwords,  and Amazon UK.
Part of the proceeds from each sale go to finding a cure for Rett Syndrome.

Here is an excerpt from Kings of the World… Continue reading “Sneak Peek: Kings of the World”

Fun with Cliches

A bushel and a peck go hand in hand
To a rock star’s concert, his biggest fans.
They have no clue to his true identity;
His gilt on the edge is a harbored fantasy.

The best thing since sliced bread? Oh, what a joke!
They want a great show and all he wants is a smoke.
From his world on the stage, along his nose he looks down,
Counting seconds ’til departure from this one-horse town.

Grey at the temples but dressed to kill,
He hides the fact well that he is over the hill
By singing his heart out at the top of his lungs
And doing everything short of speaking in tongues.

For sixty long minutes he pays his dues
Then packs up his wares and makes an excuse.
In the nick of time, he leaves them wanting more
And makes a beeline and beats it straight to the door.

Though stalked by paparazzi, he has to confess
He should have flashed in the pan: no more, no less.
With his back to the wall, he would have to be frank,
So he slips through their fingers and laughs his way to the bank.

He doesn’t give a damn and won’t speak a word.
He’s as sick as a dog yet free as a bird.
He may be out of the woods but he’s never safe;
The fans’ object of desire is a colossal fake.

His no-strings-attached manner made all of them swoon
But if they knew the truth, they’d have changed their tune.
He drives the point home where he lives with his mother
And pills block the beat of a deathly shy drummer.

Historical Fiction: Get the Correct Words for the Era

Guest Post
by Shaun J. McLaughlin

One of the challenges facing authors of historical fiction is to be true to the era in which you set your story. You must do more than engage and entertain your readers: you must not misinform.

If your story is set in the eighteenth century, your protagonist should not be wearing a wristwatch. That’s obvious. What is not always obvious are the verbs and nouns we choose for narration and conversation. Make sure those words were part of the common vernacular in your story’s era. Continue reading “Historical Fiction: Get the Correct Words for the Era”

What’s New From Kobo?

During Book Expo America, I had an opportunity for a little face time with Mark Lefebvre, director of self-publishing and author relations at Kobo. A writer himself, Mark is eager to help improve the experience of authors using Kobo. We talked about some of the new goodies Kobo will be releasing over the next few months to help you get more exposure for your books. Continue reading “What’s New From Kobo?”